- Rivers Senator Uchendu replies colleague

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ohna Andrew Uchendu, OON, in this chat with BISI OLANIYI, replies his colleague, Senator Magnus Abe, on some issues raised in an interview published three weeks ago.

Bisi: Sen. Magnus Abe said you lied when you said he openly professed loyalty and that no matter the situation, he (Abe) would never betray the former Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who is the leader of your party in the state.

Sen. Uchendu: I'm surprised at all of these. I have a lot of respect for Senator Magnus Abe but if he could say that, then nobody should take him seriously. Magnus stood up and made this statement categorically in the presence of Amaechi, in the presence of some of his core loyalists and almost 30 others at the Abuja residence of Amaechi. I was at that meeting when Magnus Abe in an attempt to assure Amaechi of his total loyalty for life, said and I quote, "your Excellency, I would like Nigerians to learn from my relationship with you and no matter the situation, I will never betray you". And as I said, I put my integrity on the line. I don't think Magnus will tell Nigerians that he is going to put his integrity on the line on this issue. I don't want to sound personal and I apologise to those who know me but to prove this case, I have to regrettably sound this way.

Bisi: In his interview, Sen. Abe raised issues about your credibility and questioned your credibility...

Sen. Uchendu: Let me make a categorical statement on this. Rivers State people know that I have paid my dues. I have been tried and tested and proven. For Magnus to say that I'm not credible, he has indirectly told Rivers people not to trust him. In fact, he has shot himself on the foot. How could he?

When he was consulting with people for his governorship plans, he came to me for advice. If I am not credible, If I'm a liar, he wouldn't have come to me and that is correct. And I told him that the impression is that you (Abe) are arrogant and not humble; you are not on ground, so many people don't like you (Abe). I don't know the truth and I said to him, my dear friend, you must go and build a solid home base before you go out. And I told him that building a solid home base was what we did when we started with Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. I said so.

Contrary to what Abe said in his interview, I never attended any meeting with Ledum Mitee. The true situation is that on my 60th birthday, in compliance with my earlier advice to him (Abe), Abe met with some Ogoni leaders including Mr. Kpagi and Ledum Mitee and they came with then Governor Amaechi to attend the small choir I put together to mark my 60th birthday. I never attended their meeting, but they attended my birthday from that meeting, which was as a result of the advice I gave him and today he saying that I'm not credible.

How could he (Abe) say I'm not credible? In one of the Ogoni greatest hours of need during the 1994 Constitutional Conference, I stood up on the floor of that conference in July 1994 to raise a motion and I drew the attention of the chairman of the conference and delegates that as we were meeting to discuss the future constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that there is an ethnic group that was not represented and I was referring to the Ogoni nationality. It's there in the National Assembly archives and that the conference decree provides that the Head of State should appoint somebody to represent any area where elections could not hold and elections could not hold in Ogoni District. That was what brought Professor Walter Olor to the 1994-95 National Constitutional Conference and when he came, he started staying with me before he was given accommodation. Even Ogonis know, and can attest to my credibility.

Let me tell him what he doesn't know. I am one of the few great friends of the Ogoni ethnic nationality. December 1, 1994, Ken Saro-Wiwa wrote me a personal letter from prison, a four-paged personal letter from prison. I have pedigree.

I have nothing against him (Abe) and nobody is stopping him from running for governor. But we all agreed with our leader (Amaechi) that we go back and rebuild the party but he reneged and he said no, he's going to pursue his personal ambition as against the collective good of the party. That is all. That is what he's calling crisis in Rivers APC.

Bisi: Sen. Abe claimed that Amaechi warned him that he set up the party structure in Rivers State for Dakuku Peterside to emerge as the party's gubernatorial candidate and no one else in the party stands a chance to get it. Is this true?

Sen. Uchendu: It's very unfortunate that Sen. Abe is going down so low, to this very low level. It's so sad. There was and there is no such thing in Rivers APC. Remember in my earlier interview, I said at that meeting at Dome, I said I will respect my age and my loyalty to Rivers State and that I'm interested in who becomes the governorship flag-bearer of the APC in Rivers State and so I will make my contributions and Amaechi that I know cannot and will not arrogate such powers as alleged by Abe. He couldn't have said such a thing. It's not done; he can't say so. There was no such thing, to put it very mildly.

Bisi: Chief, is it not possible that, that's the arrangement put in place by Amaechi and you are not aware of it?

Sen. Uchendu: Why shouldn't I? I've not heard it from anybody. We all heard it for the first time from Abe. I am quite an insider in the party in Rivers State and I will be in the know if there's any such arrangement. There are several persons in the party interested in running for the office of the governor and no one has complained that Amaechi told them that. I'm surprised Abe is saying this and he knows that he's not being factual. He should retrace his steps. Some of us are ready to help him mend fences with our leader. In fact, it's a mark of courage and state manly attitude for him to say "I goofed, let me retrace my steps". I told Nigerians that even when Magnus Abe was abusing and lambasting Rotimi Amaechi, he was paying our legal fees from the Elections Tribunal up to the final judgment at the Court of Appeal. That is the man we are following; that's Amaechi for you, he is not petty.

The Nation.
20/1/2018

Foolish and selfish people who cares! Na Nigerians I blame shaa if to say them fit they act one bit like Tunisians una go dey get mind de use us like recharge cards? Mtcheeeew

Where is ameachi getting all the money to finance legal fees and the like for rivers APC

There are many sides to a story.

aolawale025:
Where is ameachi getting all the money to finance legal fees and the like for rivers APC

his salary as minister , including his pension as former governor of rivers state. AMEACHI is a generous man

yarimo:
his salary as minister , including his pension as former governor of rivers state. AMEACHI is a generous man

see blow,oga have mercy on wailers

yarimo:
his salary as minister , including his pension as former governor of rivers state. AMEACHI is a generous man

Oga yarimo, though, na d same side we dey, softly softly blow lie na

As a serving minister, he can't receive pensions yet na

He package tight sha, but we all know say, him way no pure

yarimo:
his salary as minister , including his pension as former governor of rivers state. AMEACHI is a generous man

Oh okay! We learn daily. Today I learnt from you. All politicians in Nigeria are financing their political endeavours from their salaries!