From: Tony John, Port Harcourt
SIX days to the scheduled National and state assembly re-run elections in Rivers State, the former Rivers State Governor and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and the current Governor, Nyesom Wike, are at each others jugular over alleged politically-motivated killings in the state.
This is as the governor has condemned the remarks made by Amaechi, in a television programme on African Independent Television (AIT) in Abuja, and on Rhythm FM in Port Harcourt, describing it as “shameless and irresponsible”.
Amaechi yesterday, reiterated his stance that Wike and the Rivers State Police Command abetted and supported criminals, leading to the recent killings in some areas as well as other issues bordering on the state. Wike noted that throughout his interviews, Amaechi could not give evidence to support his allegations.
The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, said his administration had given unprecedented financial and logistical supports to the police and other security agencies in the state since he assumed office eight months ago. “Within two months in office, Governor Wike released over sixty security-fitted vehicles to the police in the state. He also released over 30 vehicles to the joint security forces. “Investigations by the Rivers State Police Command have shown again and again, that the killings witnessed in some areas of the state were the result of retributive attacks launched by rival cult gangs battling for supremacy. “And in each case, the Rivers State Police Command, working with the State Government, has made arrests, and obtained vital intelligence from gang leaders in custody. There is a prosecutorial process already underway for those implicated in these criminal activities”, Wike stated.
Speaking further, the governor said, “For example, Mr. Anthony Ugoh has been arrested, and is in police custody for the killing of Mr. Frankline Obi and two others in Omoku, in the state. Mr. Ndubuisi Tochi is in custody for the killing of Ofinjite Amachree in Buguma. Mr. Luke Okimebi is in custody for the killing of Godstime Iforuiyala in Buguma. This is only a short list out of many other culprits awaiting prosecution for their crimes in the state.
The governor said further that Amaechi’s open invitation to the military to invade homes and communities has nothing to do with crime and criminality in the state.
He said: “It is a devilish ploy by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to attempt to use the military to rig the forthcoming legislative polls in favour of the party. But the military should recognize that their role is to protect democracy, not to undermine it.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call Mr. Rotimi Amaechi to order, because he seems desperate to plunge Rivers State into anarchy. “We call on the people of Rivers State to be vigilant and to stoutly resist any attempt by Rotimi Amaechi and the APC to rig the legislative polls on March 19, 2016”, Wike stated.
Also, the governor stated that the Minister of Transportation should have used the period of his interviews to tell members of the public, and Rivers people, in particular, his achievements for eight years as governor.
Wike alleged: “Despite receiving over N3 trillion in revenue in eight years, Rotimi Amaechi left the most abandoned projects in the history of Rivers State, since 1967.
“The school contracts and other projects with doubtful legality and value are being comprehensively reviewed by the Wike’s administration.”
Meanwhile, Amaechi, yesterday, during the interview admitted that he benefitted from Dr. Peter Odili, adding that he neither criticised nor abused him about the Supreme Court judgement that upheld Wike’s victory.
“I benefited from Dr. Peter Odili and I never criticised or abused him because he is my benefactor. But, Nyesom Wike abuses me.That will continue to be a recurring decimal until Nyesom Wike leaves.
“With Dakuku Peterside becoming the Director General of NIMASA, we will use both the Police and the Army to police the waterways to Kula and to Bonny. Our waterways must be clear to allow investment”, Amaechi declared. He continued: “We want to assure the people of the state that the waterways will be protected on the day of election. I am the leader of the APC in the state and I am here for the election. I want to see how Wike will shoot all of us. We want him to carry out his threat. “On the day of the election, let everybody come out and vote. I dare Wike and his boys to come out with guns. As at the time I left office, by the poll, I was 75 percent popular. I am not worried now; the person that is worried is Wike. That day (election day), you will see security and you will be surprised. I am going from village to village from tomorrow to beg people to come out and vote, but Wike is killing them”, he vowed.
Amaechi criticised Wike for abandoning his projects, particularly the schools he built, and challenged the governor to show projects he has initiated.
“Nyesom Wike has abandoned the schools built during my administration. Students now pay school fees. Some of our graduates became doctors. Some of those who benefitted from the overseas scholarship in Canada became Canadian citizens. He has abandoned the hospitals. Wike is not a governor; he is only there to take money. Go to the (Federal) Ministry of Education, I was shown documents here. If you see the amount Wike has stolen, you will be shocked.
“Wike should tell us what he has done. By this time, when I was governor, I was commissioning roads. Some of the roads that Wike is working on now were awarded when I was the governor. Nyesom Wike did not come in as an Ikwerre governor; he came in as governor because he was so desperate” Amaechi stated.
Re-run: Amaechi, Wike in war of words
