How Tonye Cole stole Rivers state’s $50m – Governor Nyesom Wike reveals

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has warned governorship aspirant, Tonye Cole to refund $50m Rivers state money allegedly transferred to his company during Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.

According to Wike, no one would become the next governor of Rivers State, if the intention is to make the state their “personal business.”

Speaking at a thanksgiving service on Sunday, May 8, at St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Port Harcourt Wike said the All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Tonye Cole, would have to first answer to what happened to the $50 million his Sahara Energy Company allegedly received through a bank from the Rivers State government when Amaechi was governor.

The governor insisted he was not against anybody aspiring to be governor of the state, but in the case of Cole, he must first give account of the money he allegedly received.

“Whoever knows him should tell him. $50 million was taken from Rivers State account and taken to Sahara Energy account. And I asked them what is the job you people did for Rivers State? Can I see the contract paper, did you people loan us money?”

“You think you can sell this state? The former governor thinks he can bring his business partner, after you have sold all our gas turbines, Olympia Hotel, collected our $50 million cash? People think we will sit here and you will sell our state? Nobody can sell this state. Nobody can make this state his personal estate. A governor must be somebody who wants to develop this state, not somebody who wants to put the state in his pocket.”

In September 2018, Tonye Cole made a decision to pursue a career in politics. He formally resigned from all board and executive roles held in Sahara Group as well as all his board positions elsewhere to contest for the gubernatorial seat in his home state of Rivers.

This is an elective political position in Nigeria. He won the primaries under the national ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared the flag bearer but due to a protracted inter-party legal tussle, the party was removed from the ballot and prevented from contesting in the elections by the courts. Tonye Cole will now be consolidating on the political gains made to build a formidable team ahead of future elections in the country.