A document circulating online has purportedly exposed how the former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, allegedly spent over N900 million on the renovation of the governor’s residence between April and June 2023. The document, said to be the Rivers State budget performance report for the second quarter, revealed the contentious expenditures.
Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), handed over the reins of government to Fubara on May 29. However, the disclosed records in the document raise questions about financial allocations post-transition. Notably, it is reported that N2.7 billion was allocated for the purchase of computer printers, while an astounding N32 billion was earmarked for an expenditure item listed as “special projects.”
Page 35 of the budget performance report highlights the substantial allocation of N2,751,0399,898.84 for the purchase of computer printers within three months. Meanwhile, on Page 50, a line item titled “Rehabilitation of Governor’s Residence” reflects an expenditure of N900,000,000.
Further scrutiny of the budget report reveals that the office of the governor reportedly disbursed a security vote amounting to N27,402,086,068.16 within the span of three months, as indicated on Page 50 of the report.
The emergence of these documents has raised concerns and sparked discussions about the alleged mismanagement of funds during the specified period. As the authenticity of the documents is yet to be independently verified, stakeholders and the public await official responses from the concerned parties to address the apparent financial discrepancies.
See the images below for the said expenditure.
