• Denies Ex-HOS Wife’s Claims

• Safiu Kehinde

Former Rivers State Commissioner for Power, Henry Ogiri, has denied claims by Florence Nwaeke, wife of the state’s ex-Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, that he had invited her husband to Abuja for discussion.

NPO Reported that Florence had on Friday raised alarm over the disappearance of her husband.

While disclosing how George had resigned after been cajoled to implicate the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, in $15bn scam, Florence claimed he was invited by his close friend, Ogiri to Abuja for a discussion.

An aggrieved Florence would express her shock after seeing news of her husband making several allegations against Fubara at a Press Conference on Friday.

She disclosed that George had since the Press Conference become incommunicado as she called out Ogiri over her husband’s whereabout.

Reacting in a statement issued on Saturday, Ogiri described Florence’s allegations as poorly rehearsed theatrics.

While admitting being close friend with Nwaeke, Ogiri held that he has been in Port Harcourt since the Supreme Court’s verdict on the 25th of February.

He claimed he had only spoken once to the ex-HOS since he resigned as Rivers Commissioner of Power in 2023.

Ogiri claimed he has not travelled out of Rivers state since his return, stressing that his call log history and airline record can provide evidence to contradict his claim.

The statement read; “Early this morning, the 29th of March 2025, my attention was drawn to a viral social media video in which the wife of the recently resigned Head of Service of Rivers State Government alleged that her husband is missing and may have been held hostage.

“Of note is the fact that the woman in the viral video was accusing me of putting a call from Abuja across to her husband and had asked that the husband come over to Abuja so can discuss some certain matters. She even alleged that I offered to pay for the flight ticket of the husband. (Who is supposed to pay for whose ticket?).

“More worrying is the fact that the woman is asking her interviewers to tell Ogiri from Abua to bring her husband back to her. Nothing can be further from the truth.

“Let me state clearly that:

“That was a poorly rehearsed theatrics

“While Dr George Nwaeke is my friend and a professional colleague, we have only spoken once since I left the Rivers State cabinet in November 2023. I think that should be late last year or early this year.

“I came to PH from Abuja on the 28th of February 2025 (the date the Supreme Court gave judgment on Rivers State) and haven’t travelled out of Rivers State till date. I have been working at our PH office while also preparing for the burial of my foster father, which took place last Saturday, 22nd of March 2025.

“I haven’t spoken with Dr George Nwaeke since the Supreme Court judgment. And if this allegation was from Dr. George Nwaeke himself, then I would have viewed this from a different perspective.

“However, thank God telephone service providers are able to provide call logs as well as conversations thereon. And airlines are also able to provide evidence to contradict my claim of haven’t travelled out of Rivers State in the last one month.

“While we await to see how the unfolding drama and tissue of lies play out, I urge my relatives, friends, supporters, associates, leaders, and the general public to be rest assured that the truth shall be unveiled in no time.
Thank you, and God bless you.”