HOW WIKE LOOTED RIVERS’ TREASURY; OVER N1TRN PAID OUT IN CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

Documents seen by our reporter have exposed a systemic looting of Rivers State funds by Governor Nyesom Wike, confirming allegations of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Wike has stolen the state dry using proxies and phoney projects.

Investigations showed that while some of the withdrawals are legitimate including payment for media services, legal services, donations to charities including churches and Benue State Relief emergency fund, some withdrawals are merely conduits of fraud. The bank documents showed between 2015 and 2021, over N1 trillion have been curiously withdrawn from different accounts of the state in Access Bank, Zenith, GTB and Fidelity Bank.

The document showed shocking details of strange transactions on Rivers state government account marked: RVSG PROJECT ACCOUNT – with the account number 0059880527 domiciled in Access Bank.

Findings showed there was a total deposit of N98,873,028,963.04 (Ninety-eight billion, eighty hundred and seventy-three million, twenty-eight thousand, nine hundred and sixty-three naira, four kobo only) into the account.                                                                                  

The CTR (currency transaction reports) breakdown  revealed that between 30th October, 2017 and 6th June, 2019, there was a total deposit of N43,650,000,000.00 (Forty-three billion, six hundred and fifty million naira only) from GLOBAL INITIATIVES LTD-RVSG PROJECT ACCT, account number 0761370613 domiciled in Access Bank in 44 tranches.

Between 12th February, 2015 and 4th July, 2019 there was a total deposit of N30,156,359,219.60 (Thirty billion, one hundred and fifty-six million, three hundred and fifty-nine thousand, two hundred and nineteen naira, sixty kobo only) from RVSG LOAN REPAYMENT ACCOUNT, account number 0059880510 domiciled in Access Bank in 7 tranches.

Between 11th March, 2016 and 8th March, 2017 there was a total deposit of N12,669,332,650.50 (Twelve billion, six hundred and sixty-nine million, three hundred and thirty-two thousand, six hundred and fifty naira, fifty kobo only) from ACP LOAN ACCOUNT, account number 120010015 domiciled in Access Bank in 39 tranches.

Between 16th July, 2015 and 8th September, 2015 there was a total deposit of N10,722,119,110.22 (Ten billion, seven hundred and twenty-two million, one hundred and nineteen thousand, one hundred and ten naira, twenty kobo only) from RIVERS STATE MINISTRY OF WORKS, account number 0059914969 domiciled in Access Bank in 2 tranches.

But in what appears as come easy, go easy deals, the deposits were systematically siphoned away to curious accounts including individual accounts of persons said to be Wike’s fronts.

For instance, there was a total withdrawal of N72,272,701,729.87 (Seventy-two billion, two hundred and seventy-two million, seven hundred and one thousand, seven hundred and twenty-nine naira, eighty-seven kobo only) from the account.                                                                                                                                                                                        Between 16th July, 2015 and 8th September, 2015 there was a total withdrawal of N31,976,973,082.29 (Thirty-one billion, nine hundred and seventy-six million, nine hundred and seventy-three thousand, eighty-two naira, twenty=nine kobo only) in favour of ACP LOAN ACCOUNT, account number 120010015 domiciled in Access Bank.

Between 16th July, 2015 and 8th September, 2015 there was a total withdrawal of N16,860,859,901.76 (Sixteen billion, eight hundred and sixty million, eight hundred and fifty-nine thousand, nine hundred and one naira, seventy-six kobo only) in favour of RIVERS STATE MINISTRY OF WORKS, account number 0059914969 domiciled in Access Bank.

On 31st December, 2015 there was a total withdrawal of N4,580,000,000.00 (Four billion, five hundred and eighty million naira only) in favour of RRVSG EXP ACCT (PENSION and OVERHEAD), account number 0696334568 domiciled in Access Bank.

Between 2nd September, 2015 and 6th June, 2017 there was a total withdrawal of N3,431,958,219.00 (Three billion, four hundred and thirty-one million, nine hundred and fifty-eight thousand, two hundred and nineteen naira, seventy-six kobo only) in favour of RVSG LOAN REPAYMENT ACCOUNT, account number 0059880510 domiciled in Access Bank. On 29th December, 2018 there was a total withdrawal of N2,757,142,857.00 (Two billion, seven hundred and fifty-seven million, one hundred and forty-two naira thousand, eight hundred and fifty-seven naira only) in favour of LUBRIK CONSTR CO. LTD MAIN A/C B account number 0006784502 domiciled in Access Bank.

Some of the beneficiaries from the account include one Tamunoiminabo M. David, Rivers State Ministry of Works, who in 32 transactions had the sum of N16,860,859,901.76 wired to an Access Bank account number 0059914969. These 32 transactions happened between 05/12/2017 – 06/09/2019, according to the documents.

Another recipient of the N72 billion moved from the N98 billion deposited in Access Bank account Number 0059880527 is one Yagba Ngozi Abu, who in four transactions received the sum of N3,431,958,219.00 via RVSG Loan Repayment Account at  Access Bank.

Rivers state government house sources confided in our reporter that Governor Wike collects the money back from the recipients whom he used as trusted fronts.

“When you look at the paper works, you will notice a pattern. Most of the withdrawals are through his political appointees and on paper, are tied to projects but the reality is that no such projects were executed by the persons or companies listed in the bank documents. But because it’s the same Wike that would approve and certify that the projects were awarded by the state and jobs delivered with certificate of completion, it is easy to use them to move the state funds into his personal accounts through his self-appointed fronts. Wike is both the accountant and the auditor of the state, that’s our dilemma in Rivers,” a source said.

The documents also showed details of Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) filed on RVSG EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT (IGR) account number 0696334609 domiciled in Access Bank with deposits value of N322,283,328,398.08 (Three hundred and twenty-two billion, two hundred and eighty-three million, three hundred and twenty-eight thousand, three hundred and ninety-eight naira, eight kobo only).

Further, analysis of the documents showed a total value of withdrawal of N696,979,904,766.78 (Six hundred and ninety-six billion, nine hundred and seventy-nine million, nine hundred and four thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six naira, seventy-eight kobo only) for another period for a different.

The total value of the withdrawal is N324,479,527,004.69 (Three hundred and twenty-four billion, four hundred and seventy-nine million, five hundred and twenty-seven thousand, fournaira, sixty-nine kobo only) from yet another account.

Efforts to reach Governor Wike for comments on a phone believed to be his, were futile as calls and text messages were not answered

Source: Point-blank News