Rivers governor terminates power plants bought by his guber challenger, others

The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has hit hard at Tonye Cole, his rival for the 2019 governorship contest, terminating the sale of Rivers power plants bought by Cole’s Sahara Energy. He also hit hard at other investments associated with Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s allies, but Cole’s camp has reacted, saying it is not a surprise.

The terminations were the fallout of the state executive council meeting on Friday, December 21, 2018. A statement from government house said the Rivers State Government has approved the termination of the ‘Share sale contract’ for the sale  of 70 per cent equity of the State Government-owned power generation assets held by First Independent Power Limited in Omoku, Afam, Trans-Amadi and Eleme Gas Turbines to NG Power-HPS Limited.

The Rivers State Government also terminated the concession of the Rivers and Bayelsa State owned Olympia Hotel to Cenpropsaroten Hotel Management Limited.

The State Government had further terminated the concession agreement between the Government of Rivers State and Kild Concession Limited in respect of the construction of a Toll road and Secondary developments in Abonnema Wharf, Port Harcourt.Tonye Princiwill, the Director, Strategic Communications of Tonye Cole Campaign Organization, said; “This may be a surprise to some, but not me. This is the vindictive nature of the politics we play today and the reason why many who can salvage our analog politics stay away. We’ve said it before that politics is too important to be left to politicians, so the Tonye Coles of this world should have no fear. The old way is going and the old style politicians know it. My surprise is it took this long. I can only imagine that now Wike knows that Tonye Cole will be confirmed as his opponent, he can no longer hide his frustration. What he fails to appreciate is that no serious business will want to do business with Rivers state; all this from a state with the highest level of unemployment in Nigeria and IGR untapped. Yet we wonder why insecurity remains.”

The three companies that had their contracts/concessions terminated are subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited, which the state government said were used by Amaechi to acquire state assets.

Briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting, Information and Communication Commissioner, Emma Okah, said that the State Government arrived at the resolutions in line with yet to be implemented  recommendations of the White Paper  on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the Investigation of the administration of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on the sale  of Valued Assets of Rivers State and other related matters under the chairmanship of Justice George Omereji.

The Rivers State Government directed the Honourable Attorney General of the State to take further steps as contained in the White Paper.