Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has accused a former lawmaker and businessman, Ned Nwoko, of attempting to fleece the common wealth of Nigerians to the tune of $418 million over the Paris Club refund.
This is as the former lawmaker and businessman, Ned Nwoko, who is also the PDP Delta North senatorial candidate for the 2023 elections, had called for the expulsion of Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Wike said he was among the governors who led a legal battle to stop the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, from releasing $418 million to Linas International Ltd, a company owned by Prince Ned Nwoko, and other consultants.
The governor, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Chris Finebone, said since the botched attempt to swindle states, the former lawmaker had resorted to throwing tantrums at him, at the slightest opportunity.
The statement read: “For the benefit of those who may be at sea why Ned Nwoko has embarked on his voyage of unwarranted attacks on Gov. Nyesom Wike, it has to be said that Ned Nwoko is reeling and riling due to the agitation and legal action by some governors, of which Gov. Wike was one, that effectively stopped the attempt to fleece the common wealth of Nigerians to the tune of $418 million over the Paris Club refund to some consultants led by Ned Nwoko.
“It would be recalled that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, asked the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to release $418 million to Linas International Ltd, a company owned by Prince Ned Nwoko, and other consultants over the Paris Club refund saga.
“Gov. Nyesom Wike is among the governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum who approached the court to stop that deduction from the allocation to states and payment of same to Ned Nwoko and other so-called consultants.
“It is understandable that since the botched attempt to swindle states of Nigeria of that whopping sum of $418 million for a bogus and unverifiable service purported to have been rendered around the Paris Refund years back by Ned Nwoko and others, the former lawmaker and businessman has resorted to throwing tantrums at Gov. Wike at the slightest opportunity even when the former lacks proper understanding of the issues in question.
“The only conclusion to be made is that Ned Nwoko is bitter that Gov. Wike and his fellow governors effectively stopped him (Nwoko) and others from fleecing Nigeria to the tune of $418 million.
“The Rivers State Government is challenging Ned Nwoko to make public the details of the kind of business he does apart from seeking spurious deals around government corridors to finance his passion.”
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