Unconfirmed reports have it that Buhari is under pressure from external governmental forces to relieve Amaechi of his duties due to the immense allegations of corruption against him.
There were indications weekend that President Muhammadu Buhari is under pressure from the foreign community to sack his Minister of Transport and former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi following his indictment for corruption by the Justice George Omeregi-led Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry, set up to investigate the sale of state assets and the consequent Whitepaper issued by the state government.
On a related note, the federal administration was said to be uncomfortable with unpleasant reports about the disposition of the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Lawal Babachir and the President’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari. The President is reportedly disposed to easing them out of office.
The president is said to be under intense pressure to drop allegedly corrupt appointees from his cabinet to successfully prosecute his administration’s anti-graft war.
A Western diplomat who confided in Nigerian Pilot disclosed that “there is now increased and general erosion of confidence in the president’s ability to prosecute his administration’s anti-graft war. He added that, “about five senior diplomats have had reason to pass similar observations to the presidency after the Rivers state government Whitepaper that indicted your minister of Transport, Amaechi over alleged corruption during his years as governor.”
“If I can recall very vividly, they told the president that until people like Amaechi in his government are excused from government to defend the telling allegations against him, the corruption fight will not be taken seriously,” he further said.
On a related note, the federal administration was said to be uncomfortable with unpleasant reports about the disposition of the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Lawal Babachir and the President’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari. The President is reportedly disposed to easing them out of office.
The president is said to be under intense pressure to drop allegedly corrupt appointees from his cabinet to successfully prosecute his administration’s anti-graft war.
A Western diplomat who confided in Nigerian Pilot disclosed that “there is now increased and general erosion of confidence in the president’s ability to prosecute his administration’s anti-graft war. He added that, “about five senior diplomats have had reason to pass similar observations to the presidency after the Rivers state government Whitepaper that indicted your minister of Transport, Amaechi over alleged corruption during his years as governor.”
“If I can recall very vividly, they told the president that until people like Amaechi in his government are excused from government to defend the telling allegations against him, the corruption fight will not be taken seriously,” he further said.
The declaration by the diplomats he said was buoyed by a letter written by Governor Nyesom Wike to foreign missions and Embassies detailing findings and related documentary evidences including the government Whitepaper of the Justice George Omeregi commission probe report on the state’s finances during the Amaechi years as governor.
Rivers state’s Commissioner of Housing, Emma Okah, who spoke on behalf of the State Government, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt last year on the foregoing report had disclosed that the state’s Attorney-General had been mandated to start all legal processes against Amaechi; a former military administrator of Rivers State, Brigadier Anthony Ukpo (Rtd) and some other former political office holders to refund over N97 billion allegedly misappropriated in the sale of the state’s valued assets.
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