01 Jul 2013


Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has said neither the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) nor anybody can give him order or condition on
the dissolution of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Amaechi who
was speaking yesterday at the 60th birthday church service of former
President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief O.C.J Okocha
(SAN), held at the Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo Deanery in
Port Harcourt, at the weekend, noted that it was the state House of
Assembly that suspended the chairman and councillors of the council
over allegations of corruption, stressing that it was within the right
of the Assembly to do what they did.

Amaechi who was responding to some issues raised by the officiating
priest, Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey,
while delivering his sermon, said he is patiently waiting to hear the
final determination of the court on whether the Assembly should be
allowed to perform their legitimate, constitutionally enshrined
functions or not.

“It is within the powers of the Rivers State House of Assembly to
suspend the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. The same
constitution gave me the powers to dissolve Obio/Akpor, but, I have
not done that. The Rivers State House of Assembly suspended the
Obio/Akpor council chairman and the councilors, which is within their
lawful functions... The reason for which they were suspended was
corruption, so allow the Assembly to investigate.

"If they investigate and the chairman and councilors are not corrupt,
they will call them back. And no court can say the Assembly members
have no right to carry out their lawful functions. However, whatever
the court says, the Rivers State Government will obey the court. But
outside that, PDP or anybody cannot give me any condition on
Obio/Akpor council, we will continue to struggle for our rights, and
that includes our oil wells," Amaechi explained.

Amaechi also called on the people of the state to choose credible
candidates during elections, reminding them of the incidence of 2005
to 2006 where militancy and kidnapping metamorphosed into breakdown of
law and order in the state.

Amaechi further maintained that he would remain committed to the
vision of his administration to provide accountable and transparent
stewardship anchored on integrity and good governance.

“I have done a road to Opobo and if I drive to Opobo, will the people
pursue me? I have also constructed a road to Andoni, will they pursue
me for putting a road to Andoni? What about the road from Port
Harcourt to Owerri road and from Eleme to the boundary between Abia
State, will they pursue me? What about the schools. I met a school
with 100 to 200 students in a classroom. But now, you have standard
structures and conducive learning environment with only 30 students
per class, and we are still building.

Similarly, Amaechi has congratulated Professor Alabo Dagogo Fubara, a
native of Opobo Town in the state on his 75th birthday. At a birthday
reception in honour of Fubara, the governor described Fubara as a
strong man who contributed immensely to the development of Rivers
State.

Speaking on Wike, (who is leading a small faction of the State PDP
against Amaechi) the governor said Wike was too small for him
(Amaechi) to discuss.

Amaechi also said majority of those, who betrayed him severally were
from his Ikwerre ethnic group, whom he nominated for positions at
various levels, including Wike (who has now turned himself to be the
chief opponent of Amaechi) and former Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Austin Opara.

Amaechi said: “His grace, this will be the first time I will be
talking about my former Chief of Staff in public. My former Chief of
Staff is too small for me to talk about, I don’t want to discuss him
and I have never done that before. Today will be my first and last
day.

“You know, there are different types of men. I hope you know that
there are men with character and there are men without character. And
you know I have character. I don’t believe that money can solve all
problems and i don't worship money, my greatest fear is that where am
I going to, after here on earth... Let me also tell you that I have
been betrayed severally in politics and majority of those who betrayed
me are from my Ikwerre ethnic group.

“Before I became a Speaker, can we look back at Ikwerre history? We
were crying, we wanted Governor, we wanted this and that and the last
ministerial appointment was Chief Emmanuel Aguma, a long time ago, and
that was the last Ikwerre Ministerial appointment. I became Speaker
and through the Grace of God I got the Deputy Speaker seat in the
House of Representatives to an Ikwerre son (Austin Opara), all with my
sweat, I struggled for it.”

Amaechi stated that when it was time for Opara to support him, he,
instead, betrayed him

“Again, you can ask Mr. President, I submitted his name (Nyesom Wike)
as Minister, where is he now? I Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi submitted his
name (Nyesom Wike) as Minister to President Jonathan. But where is he
now?... You must have character, you must be known for something...”

Meanwhile, reacting to claims by the governor that he has joined the
Abuja politicians to run down his administration, Chibudum Nwuche,
said he could not have jettisoned the possibility of securing another
term for a South-south Presidency in 2015.

Nwuche, who was recently appointed the PDP Deputy National Chairman to
replace Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, said the stance of Amaechi against President
Goodluck Jonathan, was against the aspiration of the South-south
people.

His words: “What I have sought to do is to urge our governor to govern
in a more competitive manner, and to also understand that our people,
the entire people of South-south will prefer to have Jonathan run for
another term as our president.”

Nwuche said Jonathan embodied the hopes and aspirations of the people
of the region, adding that nobody should distract him or undermine his
government.

Una don come again abi? Why would PDP give him orders on what to do when we have a constitution or is PDP the new constitution governing Rivers and Nigeria?

But wait ooo, OP