Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said at the weekend that Supervising
Minister of Education Nyesom Wike and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Chief Austin Opara, betrayed him.
He said having made them to get to top positions, they connived with
others to fight him for personal and selfish interests.
All of them are of Ikwere, the largest ethnic stock in the state.
Wike was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff.
Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF),
spoke on Sunday night at the 199th Convention of the Ikwerre Cultural
Organisation, Wat Ahai Ogbakiri in Emohua Local Government Area.
The Rivers governor told the Ogbakor Ikwerre Convention, the
socio-cultural body of Ikwerre people in Rivers state, that both Wike and Opara
were now leading the fight against him in the state.
The NGF chairman lamented that in spite of his contributions to give the
Ikwerre ethnic nationality a face-lift and a pride of place in Rivers state and
on the national stage, he had been betrayed by his brothers.
He said: “Gradually, we are beginning to wind up in government and I have
started counting either my blessings or losses one by one as governor of Rivers
State.
“I have started asking what have I done for Ikwerre people and I’m
convinced that the Ikwerre history cannot be complete if my name is not
mentioned.
“I am not saying this because I am the governor. As the Speaker of the
Rivers State House of Assembly, I ensured that most parts of Ikwerre have
roads. The ones that did not get then, when I became governor they got roads.
“Only a few communities may not have roads in Ikwerre now, and before we
go, I will make sure they have roads like most parts of the state. We will
ensure that those communities have roads. As Speaker, I asked for the grading
of this Ogbakiri road.”
The Rivers governor also stated that he was aware that the basic thing
needed in Ikwerre was basic empowerment.
He said: “You will not recognise it, until you take the list of our
scholarship programme in the state and know how many of our children are
overseas studying. They are quite many and I have met them at different
airports.
“How I know them is because they greet me in Ikwerre when they see me. I
have asked myself apart from those who are fighting me, many Ikwerre sons and
daughters have one way or the other benefitted from me.
“When you see Nyesom Wike, tell him I nominated him to be Minister. And I
have one witness sitting here today. Chief Sampson Agbaru is my witness. He led
other prominent sons and daughters of Ikwerre to see President (Goodluck)
Jonathan and the President told them that he had not known Nyesom Wike from
Adam, that when Amaechi brought Wike’s name, he (Jonathan) opposed it. The
President opposed the appointment of my former Chief of Staff as Minister.
“He (President Jonathan) opposed him (Wike) and I begged President Jonathan
severally and consistently because I wanted Wike to be minister. But today,
Nyesom Wike has betrayed me for selfish reasons.
“Also, by the grace of God, I made Chief Austin Opara, Deputy Speaker of
House of Representatives. God used me. Prominent politicians met me and told me
that there could not be two captains in a boat, that if I made Austin Opara
Deputy Speaker, I might not be the political leader in Ikwerre. But I said I
wanted my people to benefit and I picked Austin’s name and we battled to make
him Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2003.”
The NGF chairman also revealed how the ex-deputy speaker of the House of
Representatives (Opara) allegedly masterminded his arrest and detention in
2006.
Amaechi said: “In 2006, I was arrested through the machinery of Austin
Opara and was detained for one day. Meanwhile, he was supposedly one of my
supporters to be governor. Among those, I have also helped who are now fighting
me is also Prof. Achinewhu, as Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University of
Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.
“Achinewhu was sick and at the point of death. I flew him out of the
country for medical treatment, but he is now one of those accusing me and
writing against me in the papers. For those I gave contracts, they are so many
for me to mention.
“If they deny, call the Ogbakor Ikwerre Convention and summon them, I
will come here and mention them one by one. For instance, Paul Nwonodi is one
of them. He is now fighting me and writing and signing all sorts against me.
He said: “We will survive the federal might and the way to survive it is
to mobilise our people. We must prepare now to chase away those against our
people. The President says he is an Ijaw man, he should not take the oil wells
from the Kalabari people.”
Amaechi also promised that he would remain a detribalised leader, until
the expiration of his tenure in 2015.
The President-General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Convention, Prof. Augustine
Ahiazu, described the current wave of politicking in Rivers State as alarming,
stating that it could cause permanent injury to individuals and the various
communities.
Ahiazu said: “Bitterness in politics can result in undue hatred among
friends and relations. It can breed division and polarisation. It can also
bring conflict and destruction.
“Ikwerre sons and daughters should come together to fight any plans for
violence in Port Harcourt, because any violence in Port Harcourt is violence in
Ikwerre land.”
The minister of state for education, in an interview in Port Harcourt, insisted
that he never betrayed Amaechi, whom he supported to be governor in 2007.
Wike, maintained that the NGF chairman did not recommend him to President
Jonathan to be appointed minister. Opara also stated that change was needed in
Rivers state, with the people and others in the crude oil and gas-rich
Southsouth zone preferring President Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 to
Amaechi’s alleged interest in being the vice-president during the next general
election.
For heaven sake somebody shud pls tell dis Ameachi to shut his mouth and stop counting people he helped and didn't help...Great men don't count dat but people do dat for dem....
ReplyDeleteI'm not patient to finish reading dis rubbish. Amechi u re one hell of a Governor dat I have neva seen. Wat about pple dat helped u? Did u become a Governor all by ursef? Why do u seek dis kind of sympathy from public? So it is paining u dat dey are fighting u? But it's kul for u 2 fight Gej? Dat pple are sent on scholarship, is it ur money? Wateva dat is happening in Rivers State, u brot it upon ursef. I'm in port Harcourt and I have not seen any remarkable tin you have done in phc since u started dis ur fight wit FG. Luk @ Rochas whom have only served one term n yet to complete it,he has done tremendously well 4 Imo pple. Wit all d money dat Rivers State has wat have u been able to achieve dis ur 2nd term? U cry wolf @ every given opportunity 2 attract sympathy yet d pple don't talk good about u. Amechi u don't knw how 2 talk n dis is a major prblm to your political career.
ReplyDeleteAmechi wat u sow is wat u shall reap. D sight of u on television irritates me. If it's not Wike, it's Mbu, now V.C don join? Did u tell d public wat u did to dem or wat dey have done for u? No wonder Obj denied u d pdp ticket n gave it to Omehia. Abeg 2015 shud come so dat u wil pack ur loads and relocate to Ghana,u re d worst sympathy seeker ever.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8:40am,9:09am & 9:32am,u are all fools,who told u,u can't mention names of those u helped dat betrays u 4 sefish interest & who told Amechi is packing his loads out of power,we shall see if Wike & Jonathan after 2015 will not be struggling not to go to jail,by then all of u dat sentimental & taking their side foolishly wuld haf keep quite.
ReplyDeleteU re 2013 biggest Ckn fool of Year. What is sentimental check ur dictionary. People made Amechi what he is today. Disloyalty destroys. Amechi is finish. We in d north re watching him. Musa Abdul.
DeleteYes,he is reapping what he sowed,all of us had known ,PDP how they appoint people into office with or no elections.
ReplyDeleteYes amaechi is paying back,ikwere is paying back all the evil done to Igbos during the biafaran war and after,are they not aware of ig os landed properties and d rest they took frm us after the war?I laugh,this is just the begining.
Who doesn't know how ikwere was before d ikwere's came to power as governor's of rivers state?
Yes Amaechi has really helped and improved the lot of his people,but is quite unfortunate,d@ur own very cousins,blood brothers are fighting u,is a pity,just pray d@they wouldn't ened up killing u,cos if they ikwere will know,no peace,cos rancour and acrimony will be unleashed,then they will regret cos those who are playing the songs they are dancing will laugh and beat their chests.
O yes oyes they will indid laugh,jubiliate and beat their chests and call them fools.
Amaechi your dysentry of the mouth will not help you. Are you sayin with all these people that you claimed to have helped you've never received help b4 in your life ? If your statement is anything to go by,why cry alloud ? don't forget that you also betrayed Odili after helping you.So what comes round goes round.one would have expected you to think of how you are going to protect your loots after office like your new friend Tinubu rather than noise making.if God uses you to bless somebody thank God rather than bragging, after all it is the state fund and not your personal money.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, his statement is a clear pointer that he has reached his diminishing returns. A statement unbecoming of a vice Presidential candidate of APC and Chairman of the other side of Gorvernors Forum.
ReplyDeleteIt is not bad to make yourself clear against those betraying you, if that will tarnish and affect your reputation and political career, but it should be in a matured manner not by mentioning the good you did to others.
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahaha. O boy, d way u finish Raphael and his Master too much ooo! Amaechi is really confused my brother.
ReplyDelete