Soyinka, Rivers PDP In War Of Words Over Alleged N82M Dinner For Nobel Laureate

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed grave concern over what it calls more startling discoveries of monumental looting and misappropriation of public funds by officials of the Amaechi administration in the State.

The PDP says the latest discovery of over N82m wasted on a three-hour dinner organized for Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, through the Ministry of Information and Communication, was another confirmation of how terribly wasteful, imprudent and corrupt that administration was. The Nobel laureate has however fired back, describing the statements from the PDP and Rivers government as ‘abominable distractions.’

The party in a statement today said that “apart from the negative implication this singular action has on the image of the guest, in whose honour the money was allegedly spent, it further goes to expose possible collaboration, a development that calls for explanation to Rivers people.

“The pains of the PDP is further heightened with the fact that as at the time all these financial wastes were being carried out, staff, pensioners and contractors of the State Ministry of Information and Communication were owed several months’ salaries, pensions, gratuities, and control funds; facilities at the State owned media establishments were also moribund and obsolete, and needed to be enhanced/upgraded.

“For the Party, this action by the then Commissioner, Mrs Ibim, was a clear case of financial recklessness and misappropriation, and one sure way this could be discouraged in public service is the prompt investigation and arrest of those responsible for the fraudulent actions.”

It added that “following the antecedents of the former Information Commissioner, Ibim, who has been appointed acting Managing Director of the NDDC, the PDP also wishes to caution against diverting the fund’s of the Commission meant for the development of oil devastated communities in the region into funding the APC re-run Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, and re-run of some State and National Assembly elections of the All Progressives Congress, APC.”

“We call on the relevant authorities to be on alert and to check the flow of funds from the Commission thoroughly during the period she may be in charge. We again, reiterate our call on the Police, the EFCC and other security agencies to immediately commence investigation into the N1.8b loot, which include the N82m waste on Prof Soyinka, and ensure she is arrested and prosecuted accordingly to serve as deterrent to others”, the party stressed.

Meanwhile, Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has described as ‘abominable distractions,’ statement by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dr Austin Tam-George, that the state would demand refund from him (Soyinka) if he collected cash from the N82 million allegedly spent by immediate-past Governor, Rotimi Amaechi on a dinner to honour him.

Soyinka, who reacted in a statement on Wednesday night, said it has never been his business to probe into the “catering and logistical implications” of the hundreds of recognitions he had enjoyed worldwide and wondered why the Ameachi gesture has become an issue under the ‘insecure’ incumbent of the Rivers State government lodge.

Although he said the allegation has made him saddened and ‘truly despair”, he added that he was indifferent to it. Soyinka in the statement entitled, “Those who flounder in the sewage of corruption,” said: “This morning, I saw only the headlines in one or two print media regarding the 80th Birthday dinner to which I was hosted by the former governor of Rivers State, the Honorable Rotimi Amaechi, now Minister of Transportation. I ignored them. It was not, and remains not my business to probe into the catering and logistical implications of the hundreds of institutions and governments all over the world to whom I acknowledge an immense debt of unsolicited recognition over the years.

“Since then however, I have learnt of some unsavory statements by the insecure incumbent of the Rivers State government Lodge. These included a loose invitation to anti-crime agencies to investigate the potential crime of being honoured through any occasion. The unprecedented call by this governor is prescient of a warning I recounted in my recent pamphlet publication THE REPUBLIC OF LIARS, and was taken from my address to an anti-corruption global conference that took place in Tunisia two years ago. Those words were: CORRUPTION STRIKES BACK. In this ongoing instance, that expression translates most vividly as “Those who are neck deep in the sewage of corruption ensure that they splatter sewage in all possible and improbable directions.”

“I do however fully support the Wikeleaks call for multi-directional probes. I recommend further that he involve the services of INTERPOL to guarantee its extension to all international organisations and governments to whom I owe uncountable events of recognition – including birthday luncheons, dinners, cultural receptions and events of real, fictitious, or simply opportunistic flavoring – to which I have submitted myself.

“The descent to this present level of abominable distractions makes one truly despair. It is one that even I did not envisage when I warned – CORRUPTION STRIKES BACK! Whether it brings honour or dishonour to the nation is another matter – I am saddened, but indifferent.

“EFCC and company – over to you! You all know where I live.”