“Your Government Is Worse Than That of Abacha”, Amaechi Tells President Jonathan
Following the disruption of the Save Rivers Movement (SRM) rally in Bori area of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State yesterday by militants, Governor Rotimi Amaechi has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as worse than the late dictator Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime.
The militants were said to have come and started shooting at about 4 am at the venue of the SRM rally, people were said to have been running and screaming, while lots of vehicles were shot at and vandalised.
Amaechi went to inspect the shot and vandalised vehicles at the venue of the rally at about 4:45 pm, after which he gave an interview at the government house in Port Harcourt, where he accused the Federal Government of desperation over the 2015 elections, adding that Jonathan wants to win at all costs, even if people die.
Amaechi said “When they say President Obasanjo (Olusegun) is lying about snipers and 1000 names, they say Nigeria Police have no rubber bullets. From where did the rubber bullets come? Is it one of the snipers that shot at Magnus (Abe)? Could it be that they were aiming it at me? For the first time, I will want to expose myself. I will be there (Bori’s rally). I will be there on Saturday; let them come and shoot.
“There is serious danger for democracy. What you are seeing here (in Rivers State) is close to what Abacha was doing. This is an Abacha government. Tell me the difference. Lives were being lost, people were being shot. Journalists were being arrested. This is worse, because even governors were not arrested under Abacha, but as a governor, hmmnn!
“Officers of the Rivers State Police Command met at the Police Officers’ Mess and Mbu declared war against the Rivers State Government and Rivers people. That he is determined to ensure that they are not protected and he warned them (policemen) in advance not to come to protect anybody at the rally.
“The implication of that is that he (Mbu) knew there was going to be an attack and he must have been part of the process of the attack. If not, when the people started shooting, what did the police do.
“It shows how desperate the Federal Government is in these 2015 elections. As governor of Rivers State, if we hear gunshots by 4 am, we will give protection from that 4 am. We will go to look for those who are shooting from 4 am. Up to 6 am. They attacked press men and the Commissioner of Police did not react. He did not respond.
“They attacked citizens. I learnt two persons are lying critically ill in the hospital in Bori, whom I have to visit in Bori. I have told them to transfer them to Port Harcourt so that we make sure they do not die.
“They want to win presidential and governorship elections at the cost of human lives. They do not care. One responsibility government has and that is the oath of office we take, is to protect lives and property. There is no oath of office that says I must provide water or light.
“As the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan holds the Rivers people the responsibility of protecting their lives and their lives are not being protected, because he sent a Police Commissioner, through the wife (Dame Patience Jonathan), who is here (in Rivers State) to pursue an election that is one year away. It is ridiculous.
“There is a difference between President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leader of the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party). The reason for electing him (President Jonathan) is to protect me. He wants to win Rivers State at all costs, even if all the human beings die.”
He further said “Is President (Jonathan) saying he has lost control of Mbu? He cannot remove Mbu. He cannot tell Mbu what to do or is it that Mr. President has directed Mbu to kill me and kill others?
“Who do you turn to? When the people you ought to turn to (policemen) are the people shooting you. Just one week ago, Senator Magnus Abe was shot by the police and he is in a hospital (in London). He is not in a Nigerian hospital, that they will say they went and arrange. He is in a hospital with heart condition, caused by Mbu and the President (Jonathan) is quiet.
“You will ask yourself, what is going on? Don’t I have opponents? Am I not able to provide for them, the services I ought to provide for them? Let the President take charge. I do not know of alternative security arrangement, but I will be there on Saturday (rescheduled SRM’s rally at Bori). I am going there for a rally on Saturday.
“Mbu is pretending to be relating well with me or has cordial relationship with me. From the first day Mbu stepped into this place (Rivers State), he arrested the orderly of the SSG (George Feyii) and detained him. From the Port Harcourt International Airport, as he arrived. He had not got into town. Is that cordial relationship?
“Mbu met with me and I told him that the rumour all over town was that he was posted to Rivers State by the wife of the President (DamePatience) to come and protect her interest and her political ambition. He said ‘no’, that he was in Rivers State to work with me and I said we would see. From the day Mbu stepped into Rivers State, he has neither rested nor slept.
“SRM not only applied for police protection. They applied; even the last one, but the police commissioner (Mbu) refused to grant the permission, that he is now ready for war. Not only did they apply, but the law does not say that they must apply. The law does not give the Commissioner of Police the power to deny them. It gives the power to the governor.
“Commissioner of Police does not even have the power to approve. The governor must approve, except the governor delegates that function to the Commissioner of Police. When the Commissioner of Police denies you that approval, you have the right to appeal to the governor. Which law is Mbu talking about? I am not aware that there is any request by the GDI before the governor that they want to hold a rally. If they are going by the law. Even at that, the law has been set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
“There is a police command in Bori. If they were not aware there was a rally, at least they heard sounds of gun, from 4 am, to the risk of your lives. Suppose you had died, what will Mbu say? We speak because we are involved. Compare what is going on now with what was happening under Abacha’s regime.”
