TIT FOR TAT: I shunned Nigeria’s centenary to pay back Jonathan – Amaechi
Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said that he stayed away from
the Nigeria’s centenary in Abuja in order to get even with President
Goodluck Jonathan whom he said failed to honor the invitation to 100
years anniversary of Port Harcourt last year.
The governor explained that even when prominent indigenes of the state
visited the President in Abuja and invited him to the 2013 event in Port
Harcourt, he refused to be at the occasion.
Amaechi, who spoke at a book presentation to mark the 70th birthday of
the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof.
Nimi Briggs, on Saturday, explained that he had expected Jonathan to
honour the invitation from the state.
He said, “When they ask me why I did not attend the celebration, I said
five prominent Rivers men left here to go and invite the President. When
they approached me that they wanted to go and invite the President, I
said, ‘don’t bother your head, the President won’t come.’
“They said ‘no, not after he had seen us.’ They (Rivers indigenes) are
seated hear, Justice Karibi Whyte, Prof Tekena Tamuno, Prof E.J. Alagwa,
Chief Agbaru and Prof. Nimi Briggs; and they went. They were very well
received by our President and they were very impressed.
“They came back to my house that day in Abuja and they told me that they
met with the President and I was excited. Everybody in the Federal
Government told me the President would come (for the Port Harcourt
centenary). The President did not come.
“So, I told them that I would not go to (Nigeria’s) centenary because
Port Harcourt turned 100 and the President refused to come even though
he grew up here. I said I would not go to Nigeria’s Centenary in
response to his (Jonathan) refusal to come for Port Harcourt Centenary.
“I did that not because I wanted to disrespect the President. I respect
him for his age and his achievement in the society. I thought that the
Federal Government should have respected and honored that invitation,”
Amaechi said.
On the political crisis in the state, the governor said the only way the
problem could come to an end was for the state to benefit from Federal
Government projects.
He acknowledged the presence of some elders in the state that could make
him move from the All Progressives Congress back to the Peoples
Democratic Party, but added that such elders had not been convinced on
the need for him to leave the APC.
He said, “They asked me, how would you end this crisis? I say with me,
it will be difficult to end because I stand forward to look at Rivers
State. I said the only way to end it is to change the face of Rivers
State. If Rivers people get better things, I will change.
“Then I put a caveat; I said there are some old men here who can make me
move from APC to PDP because they will never tell me to move to PDP if
they are not convinced that it is the right thing to do. This means you
can’t influence them with anything rather than what is right for Rivers
State and Nigeria.
“They are here; they know themselves and they have been part of the
struggle in a very quiet manner and they support me. My prayer is that
God will continue to bless all of you.”humm power tussle i must say.
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