Rivers State Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, has claimed he was offered a N5 billion bribe to facilitate the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, but he refused.
Speaking during a Sunday night interview on Channels Television, Mr. Ehie revealed, “In October, I was approached with a N5 billion bribe against the governor, but I refused.
The bribe was for impeachment, but I turned it down.”
He further stated that he had proof of the attempted bribery on his phone, dating back to early October 2023, though he refrained from disclosing the individuals behind the alleged offer.
Mr. Ehie’s revelation comes in response to allegations by George Nwaeke, the former Rivers State Head of Service, who accused Governor Fubara of orchestrating the crisis that led to the emergency proclamation in the state.
Mr. Nwaeke alleged that Mr. Fubara and Mr. Ehie conspired to bomb the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, claiming he witnessed a large sum of money being handed over to Mr. Ehie for the operation.
“I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside. I want to tell Rivers people today that the House of Assembly complex in Moscow Road was clearly brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. I challenge him to an open confrontation,” Mr. Nwaeke alleged.
Dismissing the accusations as politically motivated, Mr. Ehie denied any involvement in the attack on the Assembly complex.
“It is very important to clarify that I had no hand in the burning down of the Rivers House of Assembly. Like everyone else, I woke up in the early hours of October 30, 2023, to hear about the incident,” he stated.