17th June, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State,Governor, to declare his assets in keeping with the requirement of his office and in line with the mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to promote transparency and accountability.
The party said this in a statement signed by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and issued on Tuesday in Port Harcourt: “In line with the code of conduct for elected public officers in Nigeria, we wish to advise Wike to hasten to declare his assets.
The party said the people of Rivers state want to know the financial status of the man whom the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) imposed on Rivers State as governor.
According to APC, Rivers people have been waiting for the governor to follow the path of honour by declaring his assets, but he has conveniently chosen not to do so because he apparently has skeletons in his cupboard. “There is, however, no hiding place for Wike as assets declaration is not optional but compulsory for holders of the office he is accidentally occupying in the interim.”
Rivers APC said it had earlier chosen to keep quiet on the issue but decided to speak out in view of Wike’s ill-advised dissolution of Boards and Parastatals and moves to dissolve the constitutionally-constituted Local Government Councils so as to be the sole signatory of the accounts of these boards and local governments in the state.
“This request becomes imperative to safeguard Rivers State funds from being looted with impunity and misappropriated, which is actually the sole agenda of the Wike administration. We know that asset declaration may be very difficult for Wike to do, aware that he cannot give satisfactory account of the source of his lavish lifestyle before he became Caretaker Governor and his possession of most of the choice properties in Rivers State,” Rivers APC said.
It however, challenged Wike to prove that he still has a modicum of honour by declaring his assets and making the declaration public.