Patriots Blast Amaechi For Sabotage

Stakeholders have continued to react to the disgraceful behaviour of the Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, during the visit of Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to Rivers State, last Thursday.
Osinbajo was in the state on a one-day working visit to commission the world-class Indorama fertilizer plant in Eleme, the Chokocho-Umuechem-Ozuzu road and the Chokocho-Igbo-Etche-Rumuokurushi inter-change in Etche.
But the minister, who touched down first from the same presidential jet with the acting president, immediately walked into a waiting chopper, while the august visitor acknowledged cheers from the cream of Rivers stakeholders, walked to join the chiefs, political and opinion leaders, women and youth in a tumultuous reception at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
One of such stakeholders is the Publicity Secretary of the Coalition of Rivers Patriots, Barrister Thompson Barilede, who expressed the group’s shock and concerns over Amaechi’s continued plots to undermine the state and its people.
Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, Barilede said that it was against protocol and glaring insult for Amaechi to leave the jet that brought them from Abuja, to a waiting chopper without exchanging pleasantries with Rivers chiefs and other dignitaries at the airport to receive the acting president and his entourage.
Barilede also condemned the former governor’s failure to accompany the acting president to the commissioning of roads constructed by the state government, describing the action as a deviation from the traditional hospitality which the average Rivers man is known for.
He, however, praised the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for giving the acting president all the necessary support and guidance during the visit, describing the governor as a focused leader.
The spokesman while lauding the governor for providing leadership and demonstrating maturity, as well as the traditional Rivers hospitality to the visiting acting president, thanked the nation’s Second Citizen for endorsing the good governance template in Rivers State under Wike.
He said that recommending the achievements of Wike to other political leaders, especially serving governors, was a clear demonstration that Osinbajo recognises the giant feats recorded in Rivers State, and charged other political leaders in the state to de-emphasise partisan concerns and work in the interest of Rivers people.
Similarly, two top chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus and Hon. Austin Opara, have frowned at the turn of events during the visit of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to Rivers State.
Speaking to aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, shortly after the visit of the Acting President, the former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, said that the Acting President allowed himself to be influenced by party politics rather than real governance during his visit.
“We were surprised that the acting president came and decided to go for the commissioning of Indorama first, before going to commission the projects for which he was invited to Rivers State.
“Rivers State governor wrote and requested for the Acting President’s visit, and an approval was given in writing from the Presidency, confirming the visit, and commissioning of Indorama was not part of the request from the state government.
“The projects that he was invited for were supposed to be commissioned first before any other project, but what we saw during the visit was Amaechi and APCs influencing the decisions for the day by bringing in the Indorama issue.
“Amaechi is not the governor, he is a minister. The acting president should not allow himself to be dragged down by Amaechi and APC. This is not an election year. The country is facing a lot of challenges, and let them focus on addressing these challenges, and not play party politics instead of governance,” he said.
Secondus, therefore, urged the acting president to live above board, and focus on issues that are paramount to the nation, adding that the world was watching his performance as an intellectual.
Also speaking, the former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Austin Opara, expressed surprise at the turn of events during the visit of Osinbajo.
“It is unfortunate that things turned out that way. The acting president is the guest to the state and was duly invited to commission specific projects built by Governor Nyesom Wike.
“He accepted the visit and the projects he was invited for, but power play and party politics took over the process.
“The interest of Amaechi and APC is that the projects should not be commissioned, but the projects are visible for everyone to see, and you cannot suppress them.
“What I expected Amaechi and APC to do was to congratulate Governor Nyesom Wike, and probably ambush him in the next election to take over power,” Opara added.

Corlins Walter & Susan Serekara-Nwikhana