Alleged Sale of Assets: Search your conscience, RSG tells Tonye Cole

Tonye Cole

Rivers State Government has advised Arch Tonye Cole to stop sermonising about the tainted sale of high value-state assets to his companies but should search his conscience well about the sales of high caliber public assets to companies linked to him by the previous administration headed by his friend and business partner. 

Faulting comments by Arch Tonye Cole that his companies properly purchased the assets, the Commissioner for Information and Communications Barr Emma Okah said the claim was coming late in the day because the State Executive Council which approved the implementation of the white paper is not a court and not equipped or authorised to carry out judicial functions.

"At the level of implementation of the recommendations of the judicial commission of inquiry accepted through the white paper, the duty of the Exco is to obey the law and implement the stipulations as contained in the white paper and nothing more" Okah said, noting that the courts are open to anyone who feels otherwise.

The statement noted that the affected companies linked to Tonye Cole defended themselves during the proceedings of the Commission and urged him to test the findings of the Commission upstairs if he feels shortchanged.

"Rivers State Government is under an obligation to protect the interest of the people of the State and owes no apology to Arch Tonye Cole or his companies if a judicial commission finds that they acted improperly especially where rules were compromised to make one man aquire such highly valued assets of the state like the four power stations,  Olympia Hotel in  Old GRA and Abonemma Wharf.

It would be recalled that the Rivers State Government, at its last Executive Council meeting approved the implementation of the Government White Paper on the sale of highly valued assets of the state by the previous administration.  

The White Paper contained the recommendations of the report of the Hon. Justice George Omereji Judicial Commission of Inquiry which were accepted by the State Executive Council and now overdue for implementation.