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Thursday, March 28, 2024

#SoundOff: What Buhari Ought To Do About Amaechi’s N82 Million Dinner Bill

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[pull_quote_center] When I learnt of the scandalous accusation of a dinner worth N82 million Naira spent under former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, in my honour, I thought it was one of those accusations from politicians to lug me, into murky political waters. But having received an instrument from the Rivers state government to corroborate its stance.

I’m even more saddened, and would like to posit, that I was only treated to a dinner, by the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration. And I ingested only foods and drinks, and afterwards retired to the Rivers state government guest house, where I laid my head, and flew back to Lagos the next day.

I wasn’t vouchsafed with any pecuniary advancement or benefaction, that would worth that amount. I still would not want to probe into the catering and logistical implications of that dinner in my honour. However, my cogitation navigates, to what I will refer to as, corruption backed up by the absence of a public procurement act, by that government.

It’s either I was used as conduit to loot the treasury of Rivers state by that government or some contractors were not sincere.

~ Professor Wole Soyinka

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[dropcap]I[/dropcap] trust President Muhammadu Buhari, he is a man of integrity. I predict that he will place “Minister” Rotimi Amaechi on administrative leave to allow him to defend himself on serious charges that he spent $500,000 to honor Professor Wole Soyinka at a dinner that lasted just three hours.

Mr. Amaechi should not be a minister, he should be retaining a lawyer for the legal fight of his life. This is serious.

It is critically important that Rivers State investigate this stunning allegation. Seriously, are there any controls anywhere in that country? How do you spend 82 million Naira on a 3-hour dinner? What did you all eat, diamonds? These are public funds, what is the breakdown of this line item? Who got what? T

his investigation should also extend to the annual Port Harcourt book festival; how much was Rivers State spending on that festival each year? How much did they pay Jesse Jackson to attend the festival in 2013? Why did the festival not hold last year? All these questions. Mr. Buhari, why is Mr. Amaechi still a minister?

I am of course simply running my mouth, nothing will happen. Our intellectuals have looked the other way.

Nothing Amaechi or El-Rufai or Buhari does attracts opprobrium from our pen warriors. We are the problem.

Ikhide Ikheloa is a writer and literary critic. He is one of The Trent’s Elite Bloggers. He tweets from @ikhide.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

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