Nigeria: Wike to Amaechi - Account for $39m Hospital, N68bn Monorail, N10bn Malaria Projects in Rivers

What the report says

Nigeria’s political feud in Rivers State escalated after Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike publicly challenged former governor and ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi to explain several large projects from his time in office. Speaking in Ahoada East, Rivers State, Wike cited the stalled Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital, the Rivers monorail project and an anti-malaria fumigation programme, saying the public should know what happened to the funds tied to them.

According to the report, Wike pointed to figures of $39 million for the hospital, N68 billion for the monorail and about N10 billion for the malaria initiative. He argued that Amaechi’s long record in elected and appointed office should be judged by visible projects and completed infrastructure. Wike also said a Rivers judicial commission had examined payments connected to the hospital project and criticized the malaria programme as ineffective.

The minister additionally pushed back against Amaechi’s recent claim that President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies contributed to his mother’s death because he could not afford medication. Wike said it was inappropriate to link a family bereavement to politics and questioned why someone with Amaechi’s decades in public office and reported personal connections could not secure help for medical expenses.

The exchange reflects a continuing struggle over political influence in Rivers State between two long-time rivals. In the broader context, such disputes often shape alliances ahead of Nigerian elections and are used to test records on governance, spending and legacy, though the article presents these allegations from Wike’s perspective and does not independently verify them.