Wike siezes another Amaechi’s aide’s vehicle

Firstclass newsline gathered that the Rivers State Government, Nyesom
Wike has again impounded an armoured Range Rover belonging to the
immediate past Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief
Tony Okocha.
The bullet-proof vehicle was removed from Okocha's residence at
Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area at about 9am by security
operatives attached to Government House.
On June 18, 2015, in a similar fashion, a Lexus SUV was removed from
the residence of the former state Commissioner for Information, Mrs.
Ibim Semenitari,
Though, the former aide to ex-governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was not around
when the operation was carried out, it was gathered that the vehicle
was taken away without any resistance.
Government officials had insisted that the armoured Range Rover
belonged to Rivers State and not any individual.
Speaking on the development, Okocha said he was in Abuja to observe
the Rivers Election Tribunal when he was informed that his vehicle had
been taken away on the orders of Governor Nyesom Wike.
Okocha maintained that the vehicle was his 'status car,' which the law
allowed his to own after his service as a Government House chief of
staff.
He explained that though he was not miffed by Wike's action, he was
only surprised at the governor's 'seeming introduction of militarism
into democracy.
According to him, "I have just been informed of the forceful
confiscation of my status car in the usual brigandage and 'Rambo'
approach, which typifies the new caretaker administration in Rivers
State.
"I am not, however, surprised at the uncouth action, knowing Mr.
Wike's nuances like the back of my hand, but I warn that this seeming
introduction of militarism into our democratic experience and the
attendant ignominies may well become our bane if not checked.
He, however, disagreed with the claim that theRange Roverparked in his
residence was without its four tyres when it was taken away.
"Is it possible to remove the tyres of the vehicle that I drive
always? It is a white lie to say that the vehicle was parked without
tyres.
"If they think they are saying the truth, let them show pictures of
the vehicle while it was being removed. They must have used a forklift
to remove it," Okocha said.
But the Special Adviser to the Governor Nyesom Wike on Media and
Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, pointed out that there was no way an
armouredRange Roverwould be a status car of a chief of staff,
Government House.
Stressing that the four tyres of the vehicle were removed at the point
it was parked inside Okocha's residence, Inko-Tariah added that the
bulletproofRange Roverwas the property of the state government.
"As chief of staff, he (Okocha) has no right to use a bulletproof car
without leave from government. Yes, a bulletproofRange Roverwas
recovered from his (Okocha) residence.
"However, what is staggering is that he removed all the tyres to
demobilise the car and obviously to frustrate recovery.
"That act in itself is highly suspicious and obviates the need for any
further evidence that it was stolen from Government House. You don't
need to remove the tyres of your car if there are no sinister plots,"
Wike's aide argued.
Firstclassnewsline.net