Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State said his administration inherited a “huge debt burden” from his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

He said contractors have been coming for payment running into billions of naira for projects commissioned by Mr Wike, who is now the FCT minister.

Mr Fubara disclosed this on Tuesday at Ebubu community, Eleme Local Government Area during the inauguration of the reconstructed 10.89KM Aleto-Ogale-Ebubu-Eteo Road.

The road project is worth N6.7billion, according to the Rivers government.

Mr Fubara’s remark is contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the governor’s spokesperson, Chukwudi Nelson.

“This is to let the world know that if there is one problem this administration has, it is the huge debt burden.

“Most of the projects that are being commissioned, the contractors are coming for their balance-payment and it is running into billions,” Mr Fubara said, casting doubt on the claim made by Mr Wike regarding the funding for projects executed by his administration.

The then Governor Wike, while inaugurating the Rivers State campus of the Nigeria Law School in November 2022, said he was using arrears of 13 per cent of oil revenue paid to the state by then President Muhammadu Buhari to execute multi-billion naira projects in the state.

“That is why, since 2019 till now, we have been commissioning projects in the state,” Mr Wike said then, throwing a challenge to other governors in the South-south region to account for the oil revenue they received.

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Mr Wike had said that his administration was not indebted to contractors and that he would be leaving money in the treasury for his successor, Mr Fubara to start his administration.

The FCT minister is yet to react to the governor’s allegation.

Anthony Ogunleye, a spokesperson to Mr Wike, declined comments when our reporter contacted him on Tuesday.

Mr Fubara, who was the accountant general during Mr Wike’s administration before resigning to contest, and won the governorship election in the state, said he had before now refused to speak on the debt burden.

“I have said that I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to talk because I was part of that system. But, when you keep pushing me to talk, I will say it so that the people will know the true situation of things and be properly informed,” the governor said.

Mr Wike helped Mr Fubara to become the governor, but the two former allies later fell apart because of the battle over the control of governance and politics in the oil-rich state.

Mr Fubara’s claims that Mr Wike’s administration left a “huge debt burden” is the latest in the war of words between the two leaders amidst the protracted political crisis in the state. The governor recently vowed to probe his predecessor.

Road inauguration

Speaking during the inauguration, marking the commencement of activities for his first anniversary in office, Mr Fubara expressed delight that he first commissioned a road in Eleme, where he first lived.

“I am happy to be here and to join the good people of Rivers State to start this wonderful celebration of our first anniversary in the face of all the troubles. It shows that we are still focused, not minding the level of distractions.

“This project was awarded at the cost of N6.7 billion, and I can say boldly that no kobo is remaining. We’ve paid the contractor its complete sum. Our gathering here is to tell our people that their problem is our problem.”

Mr Fubara said he invited Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to inaugurate the road because Mr Otti is not a man of “artificial integrity” but a “pragmatic man.”