By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Former Commissioner for Information and Communications in Rivers State, Mrs Ibim Semenitari and acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has challenged her successor, Dr Austin Tam-George to show proof that her ministry obtained N1 billion bank loan  while she was in office.

Dismissing the allegation as untrue, Semenitari said ministries were not allowed to secure bank loans.

According to her, only the state governor could obtain bank loans as ministries had no such powers.

She said: “No commissioner can do that. I did not. This is a definite and unfortunate lie. It is against financial guidelines and service rules. Only a state governor can borrow  and there was no project in the Ministry of Information requiring government to borrow.”

Semenitari served as Commissioner for Information and Communications under former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.