Amaechi Sends Petition On Rivers Crisis To Goodluck

Governor Rotimi Amaechi has finally sent a to President Goodluck Jonathan on the crisis rocking his State and according to his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, who spoke yesterday; the President is still studying the petition

However Presidency sources said that Jonathan may not act on the petition asking for the transfer of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, for his alleged poor handling of the political crisis in the state.

Amaechi had, in the petition, which was also addressed to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, given various reasons why the commissioner of police must be immediately transferred out of the state.

Copies of the petition were sent to Jonathan; President of the Senate, David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwwal.

But a source said that the President may not take any action on the petition because the responsibility of deployment and redeployment of policemen lies with the Inspector-General of Police.

“There are people who the President has given work to do, one of such people is the IG. I still don’t understand why Governor Amaechi will be petitioning the President on such a minor issue as the redeployment of a CP. Who will he then send his petition to if he wants the IG himself removed? The governor knows the right thing, he is only whipping up sentiments,” the Presidency source said.

Another aide of the President told our correspondent that when stakeholders are bothering about whether Jonathan will treat the petition or not, they should also know that there are pending petitions against the governor before the President.

He said, “Why are you so concerned about Amaechi’s petition? Are you aware that there are also petitions against the governor pending before the President?

“For instance, there are petitions by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party against the governor.

“As I am talking to you, the party’s National Working Committee has summoned the Zonal Chairman of the party in the South-South to come and tell the NWC all he knows about the crisis in the state.

“As you expect the President to act on Amaechi’s petition, you should note that he will also act on the petitions against Amaechi.”

When contacted, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, reiterated his position that the President was still studying the petition.

Gulak debunked speculations that the President might not work on the petition.

He said despite the media hype that criticised the submission of the petition on Saturday, the President only got a copy on Wednesday.

He said, “The President is still studying the governor’s petition. He has received it and he is studying it.

“The claim that he will not treat the petition is not true. He will study it, take a decision and pass instruction to relevant people on the matter.”