I Have No Presidential Ambition -Amaechi

L-R:Governor Godswill Akpabio 0f Akwa IbomState, Governor Gabriel Suswam 0f

Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, has again stated that he  has no presidential ambition, saying, those behind the rumour don’t like Rivers State.
Chatting with journalists after an investment forum and a town hall  meeting in Houston, Texas, the United States, the governor said the task ahead of  him now was to govern Rivers State and not to become the President of Nigeria.
“The assignment I have for now is to govern Rivers State and if any other person thinks this man has ambition, it is that person’s business. So, if that is the reason for which Rivers State is being denied of everything, too bad. I have said it that they don’t like Rivers State.
“If they like Rivers State, they should show us evidence that they like Rivers State. Everything that comes to Rivers State they have taken away. Even ordinary waivers for security helicopters, agricultural materials, they wouldn’t grant the state.
“Anything we applied for, they will never approve. There is nothing we applied for that we have successfully gotten, absolutely nothing,” Amaechi explained
Governor Amaechi blasted the Minister of Niger Deta Affairs Godsday Orubebe, saying “Orubebe has been entrusted with that position to superintend over my state and eight other states in terms of development and I have not seen one project in my state, I doubt if any of my colleagues has told me that he has seen one.”
His words, “Basically, everybody in the future will answer the question – What have I done in the number of months or years that I have held a particular public office entrusted to me. I have told him to tell us how far he has gone and who are the contractors, what is the process by which the contractors were chosen?
“I am open for debate and I am ready to tell Orubebe that for every project that he shows me that he had completed, I will show him 10 projects in Rivers State that Rivers State Government has constructed. I usually tell them that the problem with me is that I am not an old man, I am equal to the task of confronting any of his (President) subordinate who confronts me on issues that are mundane.”
On alleged confrontation with President Jonathan, the governor noted that the president is a good man who surrounds himself with bad lieutenants.
He said: “It is not that the President is bad, the President is absolutely a good man, but those people around the President continue to give that impression, they fan the ember of hatred and dislike because that is how they will succeed and make their money, that is how they will be relevant and unfortunately, the President has not seen that. He needs to see that.”
“For the President, I owe him a lot of respect and regard, he is a very good person. I have told him personally that for him, I see him as a very good person, the problem I have is that some of his lieutenants need to be able to account for what they are doing in different ministries.
“For any man to ascend to that office, he must have passed through a lot of challenges, for him to overcome those challenges and become President, it makes him qualified. I do respect the President, and I challenged anybody that says I disrespect the President to show me evidence of disrespect. I don’t think having a contrary view amount to disrespect. So, the President as a father must be ready to accept contrary views.”