N5.1b contracts: Atiku’s Rivers coordinator, Sekibo, demands apology from Wike

• Denies getting deals from gov
Former Minister of Transport and Director-General of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, has demanded a public apology from Governor Nyesom Wike over his claim that he was given N5.1 billion contracts by the state government.

He described the allegation as a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image.

Governor Wike had, last Monday, at the inauguration of 319 wards and 32 constituency liaison officers in Port Harcourt, described Sekibo as a self-centred politician, who has failed to attract any democratic dividend to Okrika Council.

He also accused him of turning against him despite receiving N2.1 billion Okrika sand-filling contract, N2 billion Okochiri internal road contract and the N1.4 billion contract for Okujaku Street, Danjuma Drive in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, from his administration.

Reacting to the allegations, Sekibo, who spoke through his lawyer, Christian Onuobodo Elenwo, in a statement, denied receiving the said contracts, saying he only recommended competent contractors to execute the projects at Wike’s request.

He said: “Ordinarily, our client would not deem it necessary to respond to these deliberately orchestrated falsehoods primarily targeted to tarnish and destroy the hard-earned reputation of our client. However, our client since the release of this false statement by Governor Wike has been inundated with phone calls from different people all over the country to find out the truth or otherwise of these allegations.

“Our client is not a contractor and has never been awarded any of the above contracts by the Rivers State government. The contracts were awarded to Gascon Limited and our client is neither a director nor a shareholder.

“Due to the cordial relationship our client had with the governor coupled with the fact that two of these contracts were to be executed in our client’s hometown of Okrika, the governor asked our client to recommend a competent company that could execute these projects. This led to our client’s recommendation of Gascon Limited to the Rivers State government.”

Sekibo further asked Governor Wike to immediately retract the statement and tender an unreserved apology to him and have the same published in a national newspaper.