Focus On The Green Chamber: Chinyere Igwe And The $498,100 Mobilisation Fund

Member of the House of Representatives from Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency, Chinyere Igwe was in the news last week for two different reasons. First was that gunmen attacked his establishment, a popular Radio Station, Wish FM 99.5, and the Atlantic Television Network in Ozuoba, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, with explosive devices suspected to be dynamite as well as sporadic gunshots.

The incident, which occurred around 8:40 pm last Tuesday led to the destruction of some equipment and property in the facility which houses the two media outfit owned by a member of the House of Representatives.

Igwe who is seeking reelection and also an ardent supporter of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, was too busy mobilising logistics for Saturday’s election and could not be disturbed by the news. When contacted on Wednesday morning, Igwe confirmed the incident, saying, “What I am happy about is that no life was lost.”

But the bigger and most damaging came a few hours before the elections, the Rivers State Police Command arrested Igwe over alleged money laundering. A statement by the state command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, alleged that the federal lawmaker was in possession of $498,100, when he was arrested in Port Harcourt.

The statement was released some hours after the video and picture of the lawmaker had gone viral on social media.

According to Iringe-Koko, “Police Officers from Rivers State Command deployed to INEC Headquarters Aba Road, today 24/2/2023 at about 0245hrs, while on stop and search, arrested one Hon. Chinyere Igwe, a member House of Representatives representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency with a cash sum of 498,100 USD inside a bag in his car.

“Also recovered was a list for distribution of the money. The AIG Election, AIG Abutu Yaro, has ordered swift interrogation and arraignment in court.

“The Command urges all contestants and political parties to comply strictly with provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.”

According to the video making the rounds, Igwe claimed that the money was given to him by the party system to aid victory at the polls. The sharing formula of the fund was allegedly found with him on a sheet of paper.

I almost did not believe my eyes when Igwe’s pictures with the exhibit were all over the internet. To think that the same man has been a vocal voice against lavish spending in governance makes my mind skip. His he one of those who confess what he doesn’t practice? How can one stand against reckless spending in government only to be caught moving about with huge funds in hard currency on the eve of an election, the reality of politics, perhaps?

I had to look for his 2020 contribution to the bill seeking to amend the 2020 budget due to the reality of Covid-19, to establish my confusion.

“It beats my imagination why we cannot, as a nation do things that will help the ordinary Nigerian. There is no way that we cannot alter the 2020/Appropriation Act, we must, but in that alteration process, we must face the reality. For nearly for months and in another three months, we will live in the reality of the times in which we are, I wonder where we are spending so much money on the security architecture of this country. Yes, we know that Boko Haram is at war, but we also know that the greatest war now is covid-19 pandemic. The huge allocation to the security apparatus, to me, is not necessary, we are no longer fighting a physical war. Yes, we need to buy arms, but we have been buying arms and munitions every day, for instance, why should be budget of N115bn for the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) when we should be talking about the healthcare of our people and talking about returning our children to school. Some of the government agencies we know that have not functioned, how are they going to utilise the recurrent expenses? The airways have been shut down for about four months and will remain shut for the next month or two, the international travel and conventions going to take place?  Almost all organisations have postponed those activities from 2020 to 2021, but the other arm of government has, using their own words, padded these agencies, which means that this parliament must come alive, particularly the appropriation committee and other relevant committees, to ensure that we take the reality of the time, the reality of the oil benchmark, $25 par barrel is not realistic in the next few months. So we must come down and look at what is possible and what is realistic, and we must cut out the budget, no law says we shouldn’t save, we must learn how to save, if we have all the money in 2020, we can safe them for the future generation. My dear colleagues,  let us move  back to reality and ensure that we alter this budget in the best interest of Nigeria.”

If not for his arrest, Igwe would have been one of those jostling for the position of speaker, should his party have a good chance. It’s troubling and I hate to realise that, in most cases, politics and hypocrisy are Siamese twins!