Senator Magnus Abe has reacted to an allegation that he cornered the N4 billion meant for the Kpopie-Bodo Road project.
Abe, who is candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Rivers South-East Senatorial District rerun election, denied the allegation credited to the state governor, Nyesom Wike.
Reacting through his media aide, Parry Saroh Benson, Abe described Wike’s claim as “laughable and very far from the truth”, saying it “desecrates the office of Governor of Rivers State.”
According to him, “This shows the extent the Governor could go in stooping low and indulging in bare faced lies, if only he could stop Senator Abe from being elected into the Senate.”
“It is pertinent to state that Senator Abe is not cut out for corruption and was not the contractor, so could not have embezzled the money. The facts about the road project are there at the Ministry of Works for anybody to verify,” the aide said in a statement released on Thursday.
Benson said “Wike should be reminded that contracts have terms and Ogoni people are wiser than any tricks he is trying to play.”
“Let it be told to Rivers people and the Ogoni that no money was embezzled on the project rather the governor is owing the contractor to the tune of more than N400 million, which could have helped in completing the project.
“It is unfortunate to state that the governor being petty and vindictive has refused to pay the contractor in order to get back at Senator Abe, former Governor Chibuike Amaechi and the Ogoni as well as cancel and re-award the contract to his cronies.
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Any responsible person occupying the respected office of the governor should in public interest complete previous projects started by his predecessors. This, former Governor Amaechi did by completing all projects started by Chief Celestine Omehia, such as Mile one/ Town markets, Okrika Ring Road, Eliozu fly-over and many more.
“It is expedient to tell Governor Wike that if the idea of the allegation is to stop Senator Abe from being voted to the Senate, he has failed woefully as the Ogoni have taken the decision to vote for him.
“Our people cannot be deceived by feckless claim of loving Ogoni people to the extent of forgetting his own Ikwerre people.
“The question the Ogoni should ask is why is Wike so engrossed about Abe’s election? He knows that voting Abe into the Senate would mean that the Ogoni from henceforth would not be looked down upon again in Rivers politics,” the statement said.
