Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi has been told to blame himself, rather than the federal government, for the state’s economic woes.

As reported earlier by News Express, state lawmakers loyal to Amaechi yesterday empowered him to spend N30 billion out of the N53 billion reserve fund, claiming that the state government can no longer meet its obligation to workers and contractors as the state allegedly loses over N7 billion monthly due to the federal government’s alleged ceding of oil wells belonging to Rivers to neighbouring states.

Signed the Rivers State Reserve Fund Amendment Bill No. 1, 2014 into law this morning in the state capital, Port Harcourt, Amaechi, who has for months been locked in a devastating quarrel with the Goodluck Jonathan administration, had said: “The basic reason for the amendment is that the federal government is claiming that oil theft has affected our revenue and the allocation is dwindling seriously. I want to add that corruption is also responsible. And because have numerous projects to fund, I have been consulting with other members of cabinet that there was the need to have access to that fund.

However, swiftly reacting to our story entitled ‘Rivers State falls back on savings as quarrel with Aso Rock takes heavy toll’, a senior federal government functionary said Amaechi and the lawmakers were talking rubbish.

“It’s totally wrong to suggest that Rivers has a special problem with revenues because of its alleged problem with FG. What legitimate revenue has it been denied?” the man said, adding: “For goodness sake, the state gets four or five times what other states get!”

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also faulted the claims of the state government, accusing the lawmakers of deceiving the people.

State PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Jerry Needam, that the sitting was another act of illegality and that the lawmakers had only mortgaged the future of the state.

According to Obuah, “This is an open admission and confirmation of our earlier position that the State was broke largely due to the unbridled spending of the N1billion monthly savings by Amaechi through the back door and which should be more than the N53 billion naira he has admitted.

“It’s most unfortunate that Gov Rotimi Amaechi is in a hurry and hell-bent to kill Rivers State, and mortgage the future of the people he swore on oath to govern with the fear of God.”

•Photo shows Governor Amaechi.

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