The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that the N600 billion reportedly left in the Rivers State coffers after the lifting of the emergency rule in the state has become a major source of political attraction.

Wike made the remark on Saturday evening when he met with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly at their legislative quarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.

The comment followed earlier revelations by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, who had disclosed during a plenary sitting that the immediate past administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), left about N600 billion in the state treasury after the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Tinubu was lifted on September 18.

Amaewhule made the disclosure while responding to a report presented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Aforji Igwe, which highlighted the deplorable condition of public schools across the state.

The Speaker accused the governor of neglecting public education and questioned why part of the funds left in the state coffers could not be deployed to rehabilitate school infrastructure and recruit more qualified teachers.

About a week later, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while speaking at a project inauguration, corroborated the Speaker’s claim.

The governor stated that he left N300 billion in the state treasury following his suspension by President Tinubu on March 18 and met N600 billion in the coffers upon his return to office on September 18.

Fubara, however, responded to the concerns raised by the Speaker by saying that the funds were being utilised judiciously, adding that he would soon present his stewardship to the people.

Speaking further, Wike made veiled references to some prominent politicians who had recently visited Rivers State and met with his successor.

He alleged that during their visits, the politicians openly praised the governor, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, but were primarily interested in accessing the N600 billion reportedly in the state coffers.

Wike said the disclosure of the existence of such funds was a grave mistake, as it had now triggered intense political manoeuvring aimed at benefiting from the money.

He added that one of the easiest ways to get money from the Rivers State Government was simply to criticise him publicly and then “smile home” afterwards.

The former Rivers State governor said history had shown that politicians often developed sudden interest in the state whenever large sums of money were mentioned, describing some of them as political fraudsters.

He stated, “Giving the experience in Nigerian politics, Nigerian politicians like Rivers’ money. I can tell you that. Go and study it. Nigerian politicians like Rivers’ money.

“If you want to make money in Rivers today, I don’t know how you made the mistake of announcing that there is N600 and something billion. That mistake you made announcing that has placed some politicians from other states, I know them.

“They will now tell somebody here, this Wike enough is enough, they collect (part of the money). Don’t worry Wike, his own time is finished, they collect. So for you to be able to suck part of that N600 and something billion, you must say Wike’s time is over.

“That is the way now if you want to suck from that N600 and something billion you went and told the public, you opened the whole thing. So you know people were hanging. Now you are the one who opened the door that you have this kind of money.

“So what do you want them to do? People are waiting for where they will perch.

“So every day they put on the front page they have adopted so-so people, they collect. So-so people in so-so committees, they collect.”

Wike continued, “Are you not seeing it that the President is happy with you, they collect. If you learn the pattern of politics here you won’t bother yourself because anybody who comes to Rivers State now must say the president is happy with you, he collects his own.

“They don’t want to hear Wike again, they collect their own. He (FCT Minister) doesn’t see the president again, they collect. You people also made the mistake of telling the world the amount of money. You see a lot of political 419; that is what is going on. During my time nobody could do that because I know it … I have worked in Abuja several times.”

It will be recalled that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, recently led a Federal Government delegation, including the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, on a visit to Governor Fubara.

During the visit, the delegation conveyed President Tinubu’s message that he was “happy” with the governor.

Also, last Monday, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, accompanied Fubara to the inauguration of newly completed Permanent Secretaries’ quarters at Elimgbu in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

Basiru urged residents of Rivers State to rally behind the ruling party and support President Tinubu and Governor Fubara ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike also commended the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly for adhering to the peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu during the political crisis in the state.

He stressed that agreements reached under such circumstances must be respected and upheld.