Rivers State Governor Chibuike Ameachi has denied that he contrinutted N50 million to the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement to acquire arms for the 2007 electioneering campaigns.
Comrade Tom Atake, the head of Niger Delta Vigilante Movement accused the Governor of paying the aforementioned money to seek the support of the illicit group, but Atake who is now in the wanted list of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and State Secret Service (SSS) with N5 million on his head for any one that could give information about his whereabouts circulated a statement recently accusing the Governor of contributing that sum of money to his group..
But speaking to newsmen yesterday at the Murtala MUhammed International Airport, Lagos yesterday Amechi said the allegation was baseless, belated, describing it as unfounded as he was not in the country at the time Atake referred to, noting that the allegation was diversionary.
” Do you believe this allegation? I was not in Nigeria when the election took place? I was not in the country at that time, so how could I have done that?”
He added, “It is 12 months after I assumed office…and I have been attacking cults and other out lawed groups, only for one mad man to say I have been attacking him because I was looking for money to pay the lawyers I engaged to challenge my unlawful exclusion from the race by the PDP, how could I give him N50 million?”
Amechi insisted that if the allegation was true, Atake would have exposed it before now, especially during the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission instituted by the Rivers state government recently.”Why did he not say this since, even at the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission , the man is not telling the truth.”
Nov92008