In a rare personal portrayal of his successor as Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi has revealed how he refused the plea by Nyesom Wike to be Commissioner of Finance when he became Governor in 2007.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News Television Newsnight programme, Amaechi in an interview marking his 60th birthday said Wike recruited erstwhile Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Mohammed Adoke Bello to fly over to Port Harcourt to beg him for the position of Commissioner for Finance in 2007.
Amaechi, however, said that he flatly rejected the plea by Adoke for Wike to be Commissioner for Finance, saying that he preferred to have him under his personal watch and hence he made him Chief of Staff.
He said:
“Nobody has asked that man that says he made Governor, how did you make him Governor? Nobody has asked that question.
By the Grace of God, Peter Odili and the Judiciary, I Became Governor of Rivers State – Amaechi
I performed well as governor; people are building 1 flyover today and making noise. I built 6 flyovers in Rivers State; I did not make any noise or call the president to commission… pic.twitter.com/sv4QLXwhTJ— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) June 3, 2025
“Mohammed Adoke Bello flew all the way from Abuja that Wike asked me to make him Commissioner for Finance. I said no, I want him to work under me, I want him as my Chief of Staff so I can supervise him. I am saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children.”
“I wanted him (Wike) as Chief of Staff so I could supervise him. I didn’t offer him Commissioner for Finance. You see, I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children. You know, he made himself Chief of Staff. He made himself Governor. He made himself Minister. He made himself Local Government Chairman.”
Wike has yet to respond to the latest assertions from Amaechi and his spokesman, Lere Olayinka was yet to respond to an SMS sent to him.