Anti-Amaechi protesters led by Samuel Nwanosike(aka Ishi) a well-known acolyte of
the deputy minister of education, Nyesom
Wike stormed the Port Harcourt International
airport earlier today. The angry mob carrying placards prevented
four northern governors on a solidarity visit
with Governor Rotimi Amaechi from entering
the city for close to two hours until the police
security was reinforced. As the governors left the airport huddled in
one car, the mob threw stones, bottled water
and sticks damaging one of the cars in the
governors' convoy. Mr. Nwanosike(aka Ishi) presence at the
venue of today's protest puts a lie to feeble
denial by President Jonathan, and his wife
that they hand no hand in the crisis
bedeviling the state. Mr. Ishi was part of the
delegation of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers that
visited President Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa
some two weeks ago.Anti-Amaechi
protesters stone Northern governors on
solidarity visit to Rivers-PREMIUM TIMES By Abdulrahman Abdulmalik Protesters, believed to be acting at the
behest of people opposed to Rivers State
Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday
pelted the motorcade of four northern
governors who are currently on a solidarity
visit to Port Harcourt. The protesters had besieged the airport
shortly before the arrival of Governors
Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido
(Jigawa) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) at
the Port Harcourt International Airport. Chanting anti-Amaechi slogans, the
protesters berated the governors for
intervening in Rivers State’s internal crisis. The three governors, our sources say,
however remained at the VIP Lounge of the
airport for about an hour waiting for Niger
State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, to arrive. After Governor Aliyu arrived, the governors
drove out of the airport in a waiting
motorcade provided by their host. But as
their cars drove out of the airport and headed
towards the Rivers State Government
House, the protesters became violent pelting the motorcade with stones, water bottles,
sticks and other items. However, the governors arrived the
Government House safe, without any major
incident, and are now holding a closed-door
meeting with Mr. Amaechi. The visiting governors have been firm
supporters of the embattled Rivers governor.
Insiders say they are visiting in the wake of
the recent state-sponsored unrest, to which
many commentators have pointed accusing
fingers at federal authorities. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and professor
of literature, at a press conference in Lagos
last week, cautioned Patience Jonathan,
wife of President Jonathan, against
invasively inserting herself in the politics of
the state, and working secretly as matron to forces trying to unseat Mr. Amaechi and
make the state ungovernable. Mrs. Jonathan has denied the claims,
drawing wide amusement when she
described the Nobel Laureate as an
“embarrassment.” The Minister of State for Education, Nyesom
Wike, also reportedly arrived Port Harcourt
on Tuesday. Mr. Wike, an indigene of Rivers State, has
been accused of being an arrowhead of the
anti-Amaechi group. The Rivers State Governor has been having
a running battle with the presidency over his
stance on major public issues. He has since
been suspended from the PDP. The crisis in the state worsened last week
when five state lawmakers, loyal to the
presidency, attempted to impeach the
Speaker of the Rivers State House of
Assembly. The speaker and 26 other
lawmakers are loyal to Mr. Amaechi, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.
The violent crisis in the assembly was
widely publicized on television and social
media. Mr. Amaechi has since called for the
redeployment of the Rivers State
Commissioner of Police who is accused of
playing a partisan role in the crisis. Efforts to reach the Rivers Information
Commissioner, Ibim Semenitari, on the
details of the governors’ visit have been
unsuccessful as she is yet to answer our
calls.
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