- Wike accused ex-AGF Malami of burying the NDDC forensic audit report to shield those likely indicted.
- The FCT minister vowed to resign as FCT minister if the audit fails to support his NDDC claims.
The minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike, has fired back at former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Amaechi had on Thursday questioned Wike’s political strength and asked him to stage a popularity walk from Abuja to Port Harcourt.
The former governor also called his wife, Judith, an industrialist.
Responding on Friday during a Channels Television interview, Wike said Amaechi should not expect respect simply because of age or previous political titles.
“I think it’s very unfortunate; you should be respected because of the integrity you have and the honour you have, not because you are 200 years old,” Wike said.
“He cannot claim to be older than me just because he was governor before me.”
Wike dismissed Amaechi’s relevance in his own political journey.
“I want to say, with due respect, that I never knew Rotimi from Adams,” he said.
“In 1998, I contested for one of Nigeria’s most respected local governments, Obio/Akpor Local Government, and I won.”
The FCT minister asked President Bola Tinubu to make public the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Wike alleged that the audit was buried to shield certain individuals linked to fraudulent dealings at the commission.
According to him, a firm linked to Amaechi’s wife, Judith, was allegedly receiving N4bn monthly under the guise of training women in the Niger Delta.
“First of all, Amaechi’s wife was not an industrialist at the time,” he said.
“She doesn’t own any known company. And that’s why I’ve called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the forensic audit of the NDDC.”
He said: “Through Amaechi’s wife’s company, N4bn was being received every month to train Niger Delta women. That’s N48bn a year. The forensic report is there.”
Wike pointed fingers at the former attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, for allegedly suppressing the audit.
“Who killed it? It was Malami (former AGF) — he killed that document to protect those concerned. One of the people who are talking about coalition,” he said.
“Mr President should help Nigerians. This is what I’ve always said: please, release the forensic audit of the NDDC.”
He added: “N4bn a month to train Niger Delta women! I have said — let Mr President, please, do us a favour and release that document. Just release the document.”
The minister said he would resign if the audit did not support his claims.
“Let them release the document. If what I am saying is not in the document, I will resign as FCT minister,” he said.
“I said I will resign. I do not worship any office. I didn’t say the forensic audit was right; all I am saying is the audit report should be released.”
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