For attacking ex-President  Goodluck Jonathan, the Save Ijaw Nation Group (SING), has taken Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, to the cleaners, describing them as double-faced liars and serial betrayers.
Both Amaechi and Oshiomhole were reported to have criticised Jonathan’s Presidency as a minus for the South-South at separate events, last Tuesday.
While the former Edo governor had queried Jonathan’s capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy as President, Amaechi had claimed that Nigeria was heading towards Civil War during the 2015 elections.
But reacting to the two politicians’ criticisms in a statement, the Save Ijaw Group accused Amaechi of delusional thinking, stressing that Amaechi was among those threatening war while Jonathan was preaching peace.
The statement issued by the Coordinator of the group, Mr. Otobo Osborne, also reminded Oshiomhole that he had before now always praised Jonathan for his statesmanship but has turned against the ex-president because “he is out of job and is desperate to curry favour with the hope of getting a new job”.
The statement reads: “Rotimi Amaechi, the man who threatened that his party would form a parallel government, if they did not win the 2015 elections now accuses former President Jonathan, who said ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian’. ‘If this is not delusional thinking, then it is hard to imagine what it is.
“Never since the Civil War has Nigeria been as divided as it is today with different regions of the nation giving quit notices to each other. A prudent person would in such circumstances tailor his speech to build unity, but not Rotimi Amaechi.
“Sadly, what we are experiencing today is the culmination of the threats made during the course of the 2015 elections by persons like Amaechi,” the group said.
“Also, on the recent vituperation by the former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, against the person of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, it is sufficient to use Oshiomhole’s own words to counter him,” the group explained.
“Nigerians may recall that after winning his re-election in 2012, Adams Oshiomhole visited the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on July 17, 2012, and said as follows to State House correspondents:
“President Jonathan has demonstrated statesmanship. I think there is hope for Nigeria. What the Edo election has confirmed is that when the President and Commander-in-Chief puts the country first and conducts himself as a statesman, not just as a party leader, credible elections are possible”.
“Of course, it is not surprising that Oshiomhole would change his tone today, especially when he is out of job and is desperate to curry favour with the hope of getting a new job but we wish to remind him that under Jonathan, elections were free and fair as he said and there was no ‘inconclusive elections’.
“In a democratic setting, the most basic requirement of any leader is that he provides the platform for democracy and the economy to thrive.
“On both scores, no one can fault Jonathan.
“We are, however, not surprised at the utterances of these two characters because they have proven to be double-faced liars and serial betrayers.”