The wanted Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth leader in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr Princewill Osarojiji, has said, that the State governor, Nyesom Wike, demolished Prodest hotel and one other following false information.
Osarojiji who spoke from hiding in a radio station in PortHarcourt on Friday and monitored by The Guardian, said, he is not the owner of Prodest hotel, adding that he was framed up by his cousin politician, the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Iseac Kamalu, who allegedly misinformed the governor that he owned and operated the hotel during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Osarojiji also revealed that the claim by the state government over the death of one of the COVID-19 taskforce members and battering of three others who were wrapped with bandages in a hospital was stage-managed.
He disclosed that the acclaimed sick people, who he simply gave their names as Kolowa, Appollous, and Abuchia were among those that distributed the state government palliatives on Sunday evening after the demolition had taken place and wondered how they could suddenly become sick after distributing palliatives.
He said, the men hastily rushed to the hospital and pretended to be sick when the governor was about to appear on a live television station for interviews on the demolition saga as a cover-up.
The wanted PDP youth leader argued that if truly, a task member was killed during a fracas, the state government should provide his name and family to enable residents go for a condolence visit.
His words, ” I am not the owner of the Prodest Hotel, the governor acted and demolished the hotel based on false information. He was misinformed by the State Commissioner of Finance, Mr.Iseac Kamalu, who is my relative but does not want my political growth, that was why he went and told the governor the wrong things that transpired and He (Wike) got angry and acted based on the information he got”
“What happened was that, some persons were in front of the hotel and when the COVID-19 taskforce members saw them, they went there and demanded N100,000 from the management alleging that they were operating and because of that, the hotel manager called me and when I arrived at the hotel, the gate of the hotel was closed and fortunately I know all the task people making such demands because I gave them the job”
“So, I asked them why they will be denting the image of the state government by demanding money from citizens, then,I ordered them to leave the hotel, but Mr.Kamalu went and informed the governor that I was operating the hotel with some hoodlums, that was why the governor got angry and came the following day and demolished the hotel”.
The youth leader expressed willingness to submit himself to the security agencies or to the governor but appealed that he should be granted fair hearing. He maintained that he is not a cultist.
He said, ” I am not hiding, all I want is for the governor to invite everyone in Eleme, the chiefs, traditional rulers, the security agencies, then I will come out and we all will sit down and unravel the truth”
“The governor is angry because of false information he got from Kamalu, I need an audience to clear myself and be sure of my safety before I surrender myself”
He stated further, ” I appeal to the Governor to withdraw his decisions and properly investigate the whole saga, he was only misinformed and he acted in anger. Governor Wike is my Governor, I will not disobey him, I have always been committed to the fight against COVID-19, he should calm down and listen to my part of the story”
Meanwhile, the owner of the Prodest Hotel, Mr Promise Needam, in a separate interview, said he does not know the wanted PDP youth leader, Osarojiji.
He lamented that the governor acted hastily without proper investigations, regretting that 60 workers at the hotel have lost their jobs automatically, adding that the development signals danger to prospective investors to the State.
Contacted, the State Commissioner for Finance, Iseac Kamalu, said he had no knowledge of Osarojiji’s claims.
He also stated that the circumstances surrounding the hotel demolition saga remains strange to him but promised to speak with The Guardian at an appropriate time as he noted that he was in a meeting at the moment the call was made.
Credit: The Guardian