The explanation of the former
Commissioner for Information and Communications in the Rotimi Amaechi
administration in Rivers State embodied in a press statement entitled “Rivers State Government and the song and
dance about N82 Million “dinner”, in respect of a fraud committed under the
guise of a birthday celebration for Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, is
not only hollow but petty and childish.
Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, bitten by the bug
of pomposity and dancing in the ring of illusion, thinks that every Rivers
person except she, is a dunderhead. In a
manner typical of her, she tried to explain away her corrupt practices while
serving as commissioner, by appealing to the emotion of Rivers people rather
than to their intellect, as she struggled to justify the siphoning from the
state’s treasury, a whooping N82, 000,000.00.
While we agree that the Nobel Laureate
deserves any form of honour in any part of the world, we find it a terrible
disservice to Professor Soyinka to use his name to steal public funds and
mischievously pretend to be more protective of the man’s international
reputation than the rest of us, thereby propagandistically portraying officials
of the Rivers State Government as adversaries to the Laureate.
How can a former Commissioner for
Information and Communications become so uninformed as to misinform the unwary
public and try in vain to deform their psyche.
For lack of accounting straws to cover the crime she supervised, she
said the N82,000,000.00 was not used only for the party but that the expenses
covered costume design, set design, drama, highlife band, dinner,
transportation, decoration and logistics.
That was what N82M, tax payers money belonging to Rivers people was spent for.
What a fallacy yet Mrs. Semenitari wants the people to believe these incoherent
fabrications.
These items should naturally be expected
to form an important part of the birthday celebration. If they were left out,
what else would make the party a befitting one for a man of the stature of
Professor Soyinka? Is it only eating, drinking and dancing in a boring ambience
that would be called birthday party for Professor Soyinka of all people? How
much did the listed items amount to? Are we talking of N8, 000,000.00 or N82,
000,000.00? Shame to criminals in the garments of government officials!
A pathological liar, Mrs Seminitari
during her days as Commissioner for Information and Communications, engaged in
such pernicious propaganda that Josef Goebels’ propaganda art paled into
insignificance before hers. Even the
public servant with the shortest memory can recall the lies she transmitted
about former Governor Amaechi’s politics of denying workers and pensioners their
monthly pay. Many in certain sections of, and parastatals under her ministry
then, can tell of her unaccountability exploits. Must every can of worms be exposed?
Mrs Semenitari
should be advised to concentrate her energy on ruining the NDDC under her
charge with half-truths, disinformation, deception, outright lies and
embezzlement of public funds which she knows how to do best. After all, no APC
member can be corrupt.
Signed
Jerry Needam
Special Adviser
On Media and Publicity
To Rivers State
PDP Chairman
Bro Felix Obuah
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