Jonathan Is Victimising Rivers – Amaechi …Says I Joined APC To Sustain Positive Change

The Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, says the state suffers neglect and victimisation from the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government which denies the state of projects while ceding oil wells in the state to neighbouring states.

Consequently, Amaechi said he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect the interests of Rivers State which have been neglected by the Federal Government.

He said the state suffers neglect and victimisation in the absence of federal government projects in the state and the ceding of oil wells in the state to neighbouring states.

He urged people of the state to be politically conscious and become agents of progressive change to vote out the ruling PDP at the federal level

Governor Amaechi spoke during  an interactive session with medical doctors in the state in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Amaechi said APC holds the light to the country’s rapid development, adding that  the party was the alternative to the PDP to reduce general impoverishment in the country.

He said one of the reasons for his disagreement with the Federal Government was the Soku oil wells  in Rivers State which were ceded to Bayelsa State, and which the Rivers State Government contested in court.

“So for Rivers State, basically that is the cause of the quarrel, and you have a choice to make. The choice for me, if you ask me to advise you, is to vote out PDP and there is no sentiment about that.

“Legally, we have not lost Soku (oil wells). We have just lost Soku to the fact that the President is from Bayelsa. When a president that is not from Bayelsa comes, he will look at the facts and the facts are there. The Federal Government in writing said to the  court, ‘sorry, court, we made a mistake, we will correct the mistake; and we have told Federal Government, ‘don’t call us for a meeting, go and correct that mistake. How could you people wake up in 2011, suddenly changed the map of Nigeria and take Soku  and put in Bayelsa State!”

Amaechi said the Jonathan administration had failed to execute a road project awarded by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration to link the oil-rich Bonny Island in Rivers State.

”That road to Bonny was awarded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. They started, they’ve done just one bridge. Yar’Adua tried to restart it but he stopped. President Goodluck Jonathan has forgotten about that road completely despite the fact that part of the money that feeds the Nigerian economy comes from that place, Bonny. That’s where you have the natural gas plant.”

He also disclosed that the Federal Government had not reimbursed the state for the N105 billion spent on the Port Harcourt-Owerri Federal Road and Eleme and Agip flyovers in the state, among others.

On his government’s bid to secure loan to provide potable water for Rivers people, Amaechi said the loan was being held up because of the challenge posed by the Minister of Finance who has not signed off on the loan.

“I will start from water, we got African Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank to give us a loan for which we will pay 0.4 per cent for 40 years which is a wonderful loan to give Port Harcourt people water first. If everybody in Rivers State is drinking (potable) water, that will reduce the number of patients that go to Braithwaite Memorial Hospital or any other hospital. World Bank agreed, Federal Government agreed, ADB agreed, they said, go and do due process. We have finished due process. What is remaining is for Minister of Finance to just sign off.  In fact, you know, like I tell people, I have no appetite for money, they can award the contract to whoever they want, all I want is water because that will impact in other sectors of the Rivers State economy. ‘Oh, you are quarrelling with the president, we will not sign,’ that is why they have not signed”, he said.

“Should the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that schooled in the University of Port Harcourt, worked at OMPADEC, Ministry of Education, University of Education or College of Education (COE) sit down there and deny Rivers people water?” The people chorused ‘No’. “Should I remain in that kind of government(party)”, and again the people chorused ‘No’.

He reiterated that his decision to join the APC was not for his personal interests but for the state. He urged the people to discourage politics based on tribe or region and play politics for the collective interests of the people.

“It is not about Ijaw, it is not about South-South because the first question I will ask myself is ‘what have I benefitted in the government of President Goodluck Jonathan? We gave him between 1.5 million to 2.1 million votes. What have we gotten? What has the Federal Government done for Rivers people?”. ‘Nothing,’ the people chorused.

He decried the grounding of the Rivers State aircraft by the Federal Government and its refusal to sign to allow the state bring in two surveillance helicopters from the United States to check kidnapping and other crimes.

Amaechi said his critics in the state had been annoyed with him for his refusal to be corrupt.

He also said the state police commissioner was influenced in his actions by the Presidency.

In his remarks, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Ibitrokoemi Korubo assured the governor that they would continue to support his good policies in the state.

Others who spoke equally commended him for his good governance and initiatives.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor , Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, says he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sustain the positive transformation drive of his administration.

Governor Amaechi said this yesterday at the inauguration of Opobo/Nkoro local government area chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Opobo Town, headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state.

Represented by his Deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Governor Amaechi, who is also the chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), stated that his administration’s determination to bring positive change and continue to protect the interest of Rivers people at the grassroots informed his decision.

“Until we secure our domain, we can not bring prosperity to our state. We have to protect our interest as a people,” he said, noting that “though certain forces are pushing to deter our efforts in protecting our people’s interest, we will continue to pursue our course in ensuring that our strive for positive change is achieved”.

“Since the interest of the state is no longer protected, we have decided to change to APC, the party that brings a divine change”, he said.

Earlier, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downsteam) and member representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, said the has defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in order to sustain his pursuit of the interest of his consitutents.

Speaking, former National Deputy  Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, urged the people of the area to continue their support for Governor Amaechi, declaring that “APC is a divine positive change. APC today is commanding the majority in the National Assembly”.

He assured that the party would win the 2015 elections.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (middle),State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker(right) and Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Rivers State chapter, Dr. Ibitrokoemi Korubo, at an interactive session with medical doctors in Port Harcourt, yesterday.