Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has described former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha as a coward.Amaechi was reacting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain’s advice that he should “retrace his steps, beg President Goodluck Jonathan and return to PDP”.
The former governor, who was convicted of money laundering and corruption but was pardoned by Jonathan, gave the advice in an interview with New Telegraph at the weekend.
Among other things, Alamieyeseigha said: “I think there is no problem between Amaechi and Jonathan. I think Amaechi should be humble enough to go to the President and say ‘I am sorry’, because he has no place to go. A child that is not respectful will also not deserve respect from anyone. I have spoken to both of them. Jonathan has no issues. The President of Nigeria is very powerful. I even told Amaechi that the first entity you cannot fight is Almighty God and the second entity is the government (President Jonathan). No matter how you interpret it, nobody can fight the government (Jonathan) successfully… Rivers State will never be surrendered to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
In a statement, Amaechi’s Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor, said it was sad that the former governor was not bold enough to tell the world what he told him (Amaechi) in private.
Iyofor said: “It is true that Amaechi does not have any personal issue with the President. And yes, when Alamieyeseigha came to the governor to discuss this issue, he said there was not much problem between the president and the governor, but he was not bold enough to say in that interview what he told the governor the problem was. He told Amaechi that he cannot understand why Mr. President cannot rein in, control or manage his wife. For him to go to the press to say something else is, indeed, most cowardly and timid.
“How does one comprehend Alamieyeseigha’s logic or reasons for saying Amaechi should go and beg President Jonathan and retrace his steps? Please, to where should the governor retrace his steps to? Back to the PDP? The same PDP that Amaechi led Rivers people to support and give Mr. President over two million votes at the 2011 elections with nothing to show for it after almost four years! Instead, territories and oil wells belonging to the state are being given to other states.
“Is he saying the governor cannot hold a contrary view from Mr. President on issues based on principles and the interest of Rivers State, because Mr. President is all powerful?
“Alamieyeseigha’s understanding of respect, disrespect and desecration of the Office of the President is warped and, indeed, befuddling. For Alamieyeseigha, what amounts to disrespect and desecration of the Office of the President is Amaechi’s decision to stay with his people, fight for what is theirs and his dogged stubbornness and refusal to cede any part of Rivers State, including its oil wells, to Mr. President’s home state of Bayelsa! For him, the governor’s fight for the interest of Rivers State and its people is tantamount to disrespecting and desecrating the Office of the President. How preposterous!
“Alamieyeseigha says APC will never take Rivers State! We feel pity for him. It is apparent that he lives in the past and has blindly refused to face reality. APC has since taken over Rivers State. APC is in control in Rivers State and Rivers people are fully with their governor in APC. If deluding himself to think otherwise would make Alamieyeseigha sleep well at night, then he can continue to live in dreamland.
“While we do not begrudge Alamieyeseigha’s political affiliation or his decision to truckle, grovel and genuflect before whoever he so pleases, we demand that he respects Amaechi’s right to choose his political party and associates, and to disagree with anyone on principles and issues that are not in the interest of Rivers State and Rivers people.
“Finally, we state categorically that Alamieyeseigha’s comment against Amaechi in that interview with New Telegraph on Saturday is an undisguised and disgraceful sycophantic voyage that a man of his standing should never have ventured into.”
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