Amaechi Opens Up On Wike …Says I’m Familiar With Betrayals

It may not have been the most auspicious place to talk about the issues but it was brought up by the presiding bishop and the Governor had no choice but to answer the questions raised.
It was the  60th Birthday Celebration of foremost lawyer and former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), O. C. J. Okocha (SAN), held at the Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo Deanery in Port Harcourt at the weekend, and Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was there to honour the lawyer. The officiating priest, Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Niger Delta Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey while delivering his sermon had raised some issues and asked the governor specific questions on the Governors’ Forum elections, his relationship with his erstwhile boy, and now Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike, and the suspension of the Obio-Akpor Local Council Executive.
Amaechi, while responding to the issues and questions raised by Archbishop Kattey described his former Chief of Staff and now Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike (who is leading a small faction of the State PDP against Amaechi) as too small for him (Amaechi) to discuss.
Amaechi also said that majority of those who betrayed him severally were from his Ikwerre ethnic group whom he nominated for positions at various levels, including his former Chief of Staff and boy, Nyesom Wike (who has now turned himself to 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 Austin 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…”
Speaking on the Nigeria Governors’ Forum crisis, Amaechi said a credible election was held where the governors exercised their franchise and re-elected him as Chairman of the Forum.
“There was an election.  They are not denying that there was no election, they said, before the election, some governors had signed documents for them and they were 19 in number, and we conducted election, eventually, the 19 Governors later changed their minds and voted for me.  As a man of God, (referring to Bishop Kattey) now that you know, please tell the other Bishops and men of God, so that, I don’t have to be responding to these questions in public, if there was election or not”, Amaechi said.
Amaechi also warned that nobody should give him conditions on matters relating to the Obio/Akpor local council executive suspension. He said he is patiently waiting to hear the final determination of the court on whether the Rivers State House of 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.  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”, Amaechi explained.
“We will continue to struggle for our rights, and that includes our oil wells.”
Governor Amaechi also called on the people of the state to choose credible candidates during elections, reminding them of the incidence of 2005 and 2006 where militancy and kidnapping metamorphosed into breakdown of law and order in the state.
“When election time comes, Rivers people will be given a choice to choose whom they want, do you want people that have served you before who will deny you of your resources?  Do you want to go back to 2005 – 2006 when militancy was everywhere?  Do you want to be kidnapped as they have just started again?  It is your choice to make, between good and bad.”
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.  The church owe us a duty to explain the truth to the people.  The truth is that, you will either stand for the truth or not, am ready to stand by the truth”, Amaechi said.
Amaechi also explained that, his administration has named the new Model Secondary School built at Okehi in Etche Local Government Area of the state after Archbishop Ignatius Kattey.
Similarly, Governor Chibuike Rotimi 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 Professor Fubara, the Governor described Professor Fubara as a strong man who contributed immensely to the development of Rivers State.
Amaechi said, ‘let me thank you and congratulate you at 75″, he said.
Governor Amaechi also used the occasion to restate that the Unity road project that connects Opobo with the rest of the State should be completed by December.  ”By September, you should be able to drive into Opobo Town, the road should be ready by December but by September we will make the road passable into Opobo town”, he said.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (left), inspecting the new utra-modern Sports complex that is almost completed by his administration at the new Greater Port Harcourt city. With him is the project supervisor