Rivers @ 50: Amaechi Rejects Award
Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has announced his rejection of an award proposed for him by the Rivers State Government as part of activities for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state.
But the state Government in a swift reaction welcomed the reaction, stating that it was indeed a relief as the state was battling with the burden of awarding him the honour.
A statement issued by the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Media Office yesterday called the award a “poisoned chalice” and called on Governor Nyesom Wike to tell the world that he lied against Amaechi in the accusation that he owned the $43 million recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from an Ikoyi residence.
Amaechi also said he had not received any official communication from the state government about the award except a publication indicating his name as one of many persons to be honoured by Wike.
“Be that as it may, we want to state categorically that whatever Wike claims to be giving to Amaechi is a poisoned chalice that has been unequivocally rejected by the minister,” the statement said.
The statement continued: “Firstly, the purported award itself is a contradiction of monumental proportions, a contradiction that can only come from a warped and perverted mind. From day one as governor, Wike has made it his sole, one-point agenda to attack, abuse, insult and falsely denigrate Amaechi, his immediate predecessor and erstwhile benefactor. Since he became governor, Wike spends most of his time making reckless, deeply irresponsible malicious, false allegations against Amaechi, as he attempts, albeit fruitlessly, to malign and destroy the outstandingly superb performance and legacy of Amaechi in Rivers State. So, what is the bases (Sic) or criteria for Wike to give an award/honour to a man he (Wike) has rashly attacked and called all sorts of unprintable names in the past two years? For Wike to do a 360 and give an award to a predecessor, he (Wike) has consistently but misleadingly and deceitfully called Satan, Judas, non-performer, thief and only this week a sponsor of cultists, shows evidently that Wike suffers from a grave but rare form of psychosomatic malady.