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Rivers Crisis: Amaechi Explains Issue With Dame Jonathan
As peace talks continue in order to end the political crisis in Rivers State, Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has cleared the air on his perceived misunderstanding with tae First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
Amaechi spoke when clergymen of the Niger Delta Bishop’s Forum visited him in Government House ,Port Harcourt on Friday as part of efforts to broker peace amongst the parties. The bishops had some weeks ago visited Mrs Jonathan and Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike in Abuja.
While expressing his respect to both President Jonathan and his wife, the governor recalled that the rift arose out of his desire to provide a conducive learning environment for the children of Okrika, home town of the First Lady.
Amaechi said: “My Lords, I don’t know what to say, believe me, the only thing I want to say to you is that I want to be put on record that the wife of the President said, when my wife came to beg me, I pushed her away. I have never and I will never quarrel with my wife publicly. So, there is no time I pushed my wife away, and there is no time I will push my wife away. I just want to correct that so that nobody goes away with the impression that somebody told my wife ‘go and talk to your husband, she came and I pushed her away’. No. That day, I simply walked away into a bus and I sat down until they finished. So all I did was go back to the bus to enable my wife perform her official function of someone who had received the wife of the President and escort her to all the places she wanted to go to.
“I hope that it (this mediation) will work. Niger Delta monarchs came and no result came out of it, and since you are men of God, I hope that God will bless this one. I hope so because that is the same way I spoke to them (the monarchs) and they said, ‘watch out, it will work’, and they never returned because it never worked.
There are so many persons who had come to mediate but nothing came out of it. If it is peace that everybody wants, I am ready for peace. When you say you are seeking for permission, I am wondering why, because if you did not have the permission you would not have gone to see the wife of the President. The mere fact that you have seen the wife of the President means that you have initiated the peace move, so you don’t require any further approval than the approval of God that you have started with.
“There are aspects of the story that is public that I need to correct. Lord Bishops, please allow me correct those ones too because when you spoke with the wife of the President, she spoke publicly. She said, and I concede to her, when she said, she is my mother. As wife of the President who is the head of government and head of the nation, she is my mother, and you expect that as my mother, she should be able to protect her son. No mother takes away a Police Commissioner to the detriment of her son, so when next you see my mother, please tell her that she should try and protect her son.
“The other aspect is the Okrika story when she visited. Like I said, as the governor, by protocol, I will receive the President and you know that the President is not just our President, he is the head of the nation but when the wife of the President came, I went to receive her at the airport and she slept in Port Harcourt. The next day, she came up with a programme that was not part of the official programme.
And what was the programme? She wanted her people to receive her in Okrika. There was no plan, there was no protocol arrangement, nothing. We just had to quickly arrange protocol to take her to the place.
But to do that, we wanted to also show her, as part of her own programme, not our programme, the projects we had done in Okrika. So we took her to the Rufus Ada-George ring road in Okrika, which we started and completed, and then somewhere we saw a health centre and a primary school, and I said stop, let me show her this health centre. We looked at the health centre and we were satisfied.
At the primary school, there were houses around the primary school too close for comfort, no football field, no playground, no space at all around the school and I turned to the wife of the President, and said, ‘Your Excellency Ma, we have not finished with this building, we would buy the houses that are surrounding the primary school and demolish them’.
Once she heard the word, ‘demolish, the wife of the President flared up and took the microphone from me, and started all sorts of diatribes that I won’t mention here for the respect I have for the office of the wife of the President. I felt that it is wrong to confront the wife of the President publicly. When she finished, I withdrew and walked into the bus.
When we got to the ground of the reception which was not part of our programme, which she just included by herself, I came down from the bus and went to sit in one of the primary schools. That is where she said my wife met me and I pushed her away. How did the wife of the President know that my wife met me and I pushed her away when she was supposed to be in a public ceremony?. Was she standing with me and my wife in that primary school and saw me push my wife away? So, it is important that you get to know this and the public knows that the altercation between myself and the wife of the President was as a result of providing services to her place, the Okrika people because you must deal with the issue of paedophiles.
If you build a primary school and the place is surrounded by people who are cooking and selling and buying, that is not a conducive atmosphere for learning and we did not say we would come there with caterpillars and demolish.
We said we would buy the houses from the people and pay them off to be able to get a football field, provide playground for the children and fence off the school so that we can protect them from paedophiles, that was what happened.”
Governor Amaechi also spoke on the issue of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, whom he nominated for appointment as minister.
“I hear you also visited Nyesom Wike. I try not to talk about Wike. I say so because he is my subordinate, I try not to talk about him but I hear you visited him. Why I won’t talk about him is that Nyesom Wike, his second tenure as Obio/ Akpor Council Chairman was by the grace of God but I was the architect of that second term.
Nyesom Wike was appointed Chief of Staff by me.
“Nyesom Wike as a Minister of State, I nominated him. I was under pressure by the President to drop him, I refused. The President persuaded me to drop him, and bring a woman but I refused. I hear he is going all over town saying I didn’t appoint him. I didn’t appoint him, the President appointed him but I nominated him to be a minister as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum. I did but you know, character doesn’t come easily, character is a very difficult thing and I am a man of character”, Amaechi said.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Rt. Rev. James Aye Oruwori said they came because they needed the governor’s permission to intervene in the prolonged crisis in the state and the dispute between the governor and the First Lady.
They said they took the challenge to intervene in the crisis without external influence, having also visited the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to restore the peace that existed in the state.
Rt. Rev. James Aye Oruwori said: “On behalf of the Niger Delta Bishops’ Forum, we came to visit you (Amaechi). We want to first of all appreciate your gracious approval of our coming. Summarily, to say why we are here, before I go into that, let me please say that our coming is not influenced by any person, our coming is not sponsored by any person but because in a home where there are fathers, peace is always maintained, and because we have observed that there had been some challenges to the people of Rivers State, then to the entire Nigeria, we feel agitated in our spirits.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that we have been praying but then, prayer without faith is classified as dead.
It is on this note, we have taken upon ourselves to make a move to seek for peace. The scripture says precisely in Matthew 5:9 that, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God”.
“The best thing to do, we felt is to first of all come to you and to say we would want to intervene in this matter believing that there is nothing impossible with God. We just feel that if this matter is allowed to escalate, the matter is something that will not affect only we that are living but even our children that will be born tomorrow”, the bishop added.
The Rivers State Government has commended the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) for its outstanding contributions to the development of Rivers State, particularly in the areas of peacebuilding, education, healthcare, and moral development.
Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, stated that the Church has remained a dependable partner in promoting peace, unity, justice, moral discipline, and social harmony across society.
The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, made the remarks during the thanksgiving service marking the 30th Anniversary and First Session of the 11th Synod of the Diocese of Niger Delta North, held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church on Sunday.
Governor Fubara described the Synod’s theme, “Kingdom Advancement: The Priority of Every Believer,” as timely and relevant, considering the prevailing realities in society.
According to him, the Church continues to play a vital role in shaping societal values and inspiring hope among citizens.
“The Church remains a vital partner in promoting peace, unity, justice, and moral discipline. Its role in shaping values and inspiring hope cannot be overemphasized,” he stated.
The Governor further acknowledged the Anglican Communion’s contributions in education, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, humanitarian services, and spiritual guidance across communities in Rivers State.
“The Rivers State Government appreciates the invaluable contributions of the Anglican Communion in education, healthcare, youth development, humanitarian support, and spiritual guidance. Your impact across communities in Rivers State continues to strengthen families and promote peaceful coexistence among our people,” he added.
Governor Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a peaceful, united, and prosperous Rivers State where all citizens can thrive irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or social background.
He also urged the Synod to continue praying for sustainable development and progress in Rivers State and Nigeria at large.
Earlier in his sermon, the Guest Minister, Joseph Olushola, spoke on the topic, “Kingdom Investment and Internal Rewards,” urging Christians to remain faithful stewards of God’s blessings and committed to advancing God’s kingdom through service and generosity.
The cleric emphasized that believers are custodians of the virtues and resources entrusted to them by God, stressing that divine rewards are based on faithfulness and impact rather than material possessions.
The Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, in partnership with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), has reaffirmed support for efforts to expand gas distribution infrastructure in Rivers State as part of initiatives aimed at improving access to affordable, cleaner and more reliable energy for industries across the South-South region.
The commitment was highlighted during the SNG–MAN Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders from the industrial and public sectors examined the role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, boosting local production and strengthening energy security.
Speaking at the forum on behalf of the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, the company’s Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos Ejesi, described natural gas as a critical component of Nigeria’s energy mix and a key driver of sustainable industrial growth.
According to him, Nigeria’s gas development agenda has reached a stage where policy direction must be matched with practical implementation capable of addressing the energy challenges confronting manufacturers.
He noted that pipeline gas offers industries a cleaner, more dependable and cost-effective energy alternative capable of supporting uninterrupted operations, reducing emissions and improving production efficiency.
“Gas is the backbone of manufacturing, and we are encouraged by the growing recognition among stakeholders of the need for cleaner and more reliable energy solutions,” he said.
Ejesi stressed the need for sustained collaboration among energy providers, government institutions and industrial stakeholders to maximise the country’s gas resources for economic development.
He added that improved gas infrastructure would strengthen manufacturing value chains, enhance productivity and promote more competitive industrial operations across Rivers State and the wider South-South region.
Participants at the forum also emphasised the importance of expanding energy infrastructure as a pathway to unlocking industrial capacity, reducing operating costs and promoting sustainable industrial development.
Representing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with private sector investors to revitalise industrial activities in the state.
He identified key projects targeted under the initiative to include the revival of the Ahoada Industrial Park, the New Port City project and the proposed Bonny Industrial Park, all aimed at stimulating economic growth and expanding industrial opportunities along the Bonny corridor.
According to the governor, the long-term vision is to position Rivers State as a leading manufacturing hub in Southern Nigeria through strategic public-private partnerships.
Governor Fubara also commended Shell Nigeria Gas and MAN for sustaining engagements geared towards improving industrial energy access, noting that gas infrastructure development remains central to the state’s economic recovery plans.
He further observed that the gas sector presents enormous opportunities for economic growth, especially as global energy systems continue to shift towards cleaner energy sources.
The governor called on stakeholders to work collectively towards developing a practical and sustainable gas framework capable of supporting the state’s industrial and energy development objectives.
By; Kevin Nengia
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has charged newlywed couples to build their marriages on the virtues of love and submission as taught in the Word of God.
Prof. Odu gave the charge at the wedding ceremony of Amblessed Favour Sunny-Cookey and Samson Jesuganji at Lifegate Power Ministries, Dominion Cathedral, in Port Harcourt on Saturday, 16th May 2026.
The Deputy Governor congratulated the couple on beginning a new phase of life together and prayed for God’s blessings upon their union, noting that the couple had been raised by godly parents and encouraged them to uphold the Christian values instilled in them.
Referring to the sermon delivered during the ceremony, Prof. Odu emphasized that the principles of love and submission remain fundamental to a successful marriage.
According to her, genuine love reflects the nature of God, stressing that love should remain the foundation of the couple’s relationship as they journey through life together.
Prof. Odu further prayed for enduring peace, happiness, and progress in the home, expressing confidence that the marriage would continue to flourish under God’s guidance.
The Deputy Governor also commended the families of the couple for their support and upbringing, while urging the newlyweds to always remember the significance of the day and the commitment they had made before God and witnesses.
In his sermon at the wedding, the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, stated that marriage did not originate from Western culture, traditions, or human ideas, but from God, whom he described as the “manufacturer” of marriage.
According to the cleric, couples seeking lasting and peaceful homes must rely on biblical principles rather than societal trends or assumptions.
He explained that many marital crises and rising divorce rates stem from ignorance and failure to apply scriptural teachings in family life.
Drawing from the biblical parable of building a house on a rock, Pastor Ibiyeomie said the Word of God remains the only solid foundation capable of sustaining marriages through challenges and difficult times.
He noted that marriage naturally comes with unexpected realities and pressures, stressing that religious ceremonies or cultural practices alone are not enough to sustain a home without proper understanding of God’s instructions.
The pastor further warned that ignorance of scripture remains one of the greatest weapons against believers, urging Christians to study and practice the Word of God rather than merely attending church services.
It would be recalled that the bride is the daughter of Pastor Sunny Cookey the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Lifegate Ministries. The Ceremony had lots of Ministers in attendance which includes Apostle Zilly Aggrey, Pastor George Izunwa, and Bishop Winston Iwo
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