Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to name the state governors who diverted local government allocations.
At an event on Thursday, the president claimed that some state governors divert funds from the federation account to local government councils.
He also accused the governors of forcing the council executives to sign undertakings for money not received and agreeing to have received the entire allocation.
But on Friday, at the commissioning of a project in Port Harcourt, Gov. Wike claimed that he has never touched money meant for the local government since he came on board in 2015.
The governor also claimed that none of the People’s Democratic Party’s G5 governors had ever touched local government allocations.
He then challenged the President to name the governors who tamper with local government allocations.
Wike said, ”I challenge you, Mr President. You must come out and tell Nigerians who are committing this offence.”
“You said the Governors are taking local government funds.”
“I want to say, in the name of Almighty God, I’ve never touched local government funds one day. I have never and I have no reason to do that.
“So, Mr President, tell us who are those people? You know them, tell us.
“I’m not one of those governors. Mr President tells Nigerians that the Integrity Governors are not part of them.
“Do us a favour to announce all those states that are taking local government funds”.