4th January, 2016
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Former Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari has dismissed the allegation by her successor that she borrowed money on behalf of the ministry while in office.
Mrs Semenitari made the clarification in her remark in Port Harcourt, while reacting to an allegation by Dr Tam George, Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, that she took a loan of N1 billion on behalf of the ministry while serving as commissioner.
Semenitari, who has just been appointed Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, described as “a lie and unfortunate,” remarks by George that she took the facility from a bank.
George had made the allegation during a radio programme in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Semenitari said “no Commissioner can do that. I did not. This is a definite and unfortunate lie,” she said.
“It is against financial guidelines and service rules. Only a state government can borrow and there was no project in the Ministry of Information requiring government to borrow,” she said.
She challenged her successor to show proof or evidence that she borrowed the money while serving the state as Commissioner for information and Communications.