Nyesom Wike is too insignificant to discuss---Gov Amaechi
Speaking at the 60th Birthday Celebration of former
President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Chief O. C. J. Okocha (SAN) held
at the Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo Deanery in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State, weekend, Amaechi added that majority of those, who betrayed him were
from his Ikwerre ethnic group, whom he nominated for positions at various
levels, including his former Chief of Staff, Nyesom Wike, who has now turned
himself to his (Amaechi’s) chief opponent and former Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Mr Austin Opara.
Responding to questions put to him by the officiating
priest, Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Niger Delta Diocese, Archbishop
Ignatius Kattey, Amaechi said “His grace, this will be the first time I will be
talking about my former Chief of Staff in public. My former Chief of Staff is too small for me
to talk about, I don’t want to discuss him and I have never done that before.
Today will be my first and last day.
“You know, there are different types of men. I hope you know
that there are men with character and there are men without character. And you know I have character. I don’t believe that money can solve all
problems and I don't worship money, my greatest fear is that where am I going
to, after here on earth. Let me also
tell you that I have been betrayed severally in politics and majority of those
who betrayed me are from my Ikwerre ethnic group.
“Before I became a Speaker, can we look back at Ikwerre history?
We were crying, we wanted governor, we wanted this and that and the last
ministerial appointment was Chief
Emmanuel Aguma, a long time ago, and that was the last Ikwerre ministerial
appointment. I became Speaker and
through the Grace of God I got the Deputy Speaker Seat in the House of
Representatives to an Ikwerre son(Austin Opara), all with my sweat, I struggled
for it.”
Amaechi stated that when it was time for Austin Opara to
support him, he, instead betrayed him
“Again, you can ask
Mr. President, I submitted his name(Nyesom Wike) as Minister, where is he
now? I Amaechi submitted his name
(Nyesom Wike) as Minister to President Goodluck Jonathan, but where his he now?
You must have character, you must be
known for something.”
Speaking on the Nigeria Governors’ Forum crisis, Amaechi
said a credible election was held where the governors exercised their franchise
and re-elected him as Chairman of the Forum.
“There was an
election. They are not denying that
there was no election, they said before the election, some governors had signed
documents for them and they were 19 in number, and we conducted election,
eventually, the 19 governors later changed their minds and voted for me. As a man of God, (referring to Bishop Kattey)
now that you know, please tell the other Bishops and men of God, so that, I
don’t have to be responding to these questions in public, if there was election
or not?” Amaechi said.
Amaechi also warned that nobody should give him conditions
on matters relating to the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area executive suspension. He said
he was patiently waiting to hear the final determination of the court on
whether the Rivers State House of Assembly should be allowed to perform their
legitimate, constitutionally enshrined functions or not.
“It is within the powers
of the Rivers State House of Assembly to suspend the Chairman of
Obio/Akpor. The same constitution gave
me the powers to dissolve Obio/Akpor, but, I have not done that. The Rivers State House of Assembly suspended
the Obio/Akpor council chairman and the councilors, which is within their
lawful functions. The reason for which
they were suspended was corruption, so allow the Assembly to investigate. If they investigate and the chairman and
councilors are not corrupt, they will call them back. And no court can say that
the Assembly members have no right to carry out their lawful functions. However, whatever the court says, the Rivers
State Government will obey the court.
But outside that, PDP or anybody cannot give me any condition on
Obio/Akpor council,” he said.
“We will continue to
struggle for our rights, and that includes our oil wells."
Governor Amaechi also called on the people of the state to
choose credible candidates during elections, reminding them of the incidence of
2005 and 2006, where militancy and kidnapping metamorphosed into breakdown of
law and order in the state.
“When election time
comes, Rivers people will be given a choice to choose whom they want, do you
want people that have served you before who will deny you of your
resources? Do you want to go back to
2005 – 2006 when militancy was everywhere?
Do you want to be kidnapped as they have just started again? It is your choice to make, between good and
bad."
Amaechi maintained
that he would remain committed to the vision of his administration to provide
accountable and transparent stewardship anchored on integrity and good
governance.
“I have done a road
to Opobo and if I drive to Opobo, will the people pursue me? I have also constructed a road to Andoni,
will they pursue me for putting a road to Andoni? What about the road from Port
Harcourt to Owerri Road and from Eleme to the boundary between Abia State, will
they pursue me? What about the schools.
I met a school with 100 to 200 students in a classroom. But now, you have standard structures and
conducive learning environment with only 30 students per class, and we are
still building. The church owe us a duty
to explain the truth to the people. The
truth is that, you will either stand for the truth or not, am ready to stand by
the truth,” Amaechi said.
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