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Tag: Amaechi

  • 2019: Buhari’ll still win Sokoto, Kano, Bauchi if he campaigns on ‘sickbed’ – Amaechi

    …insists lawmakers’ defections won’t affect president, APC’s chances in 2019

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday said Sokoto , Kano and Bauchi States in the North will be easy ride for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

    The minister also claimed that the governors of Sokoto and Kwara states, Aminu Tambuwal and Abdulfatah Ahmed respectively, would leave the All Progressives Congress.

    Amaechi also claimed that Tambuwal had presidential ambition, and that President Muhammadu Buhari would win in Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi states in the 2019 general elections even if he (Buhari) is taken to the states “on a sick bed”.

    The minister told journalists that although he did not wish to speak about political matters, he was sure that despite the defection by the APC members at the National Assembly, the party would win the 2019 presidential election.

    When told that the APC might be heading for a collapse considering the gale of defection in the party, the minister said, “That’s according to you. Look, you are not a politician so you can’t be commenting on what you don’t know. In fact let’s look at it. Unfortunately I don’t want to speak about this but you are putting me under pressure.

    “However, no matter what you do, the Governor of Sokoto will leave naturally. He has ambition to be president. If you take a chicken to him he will still go. The same with Kwara. These are people you expect that they will leave.”

    He said, “On those that defected at the House of Representatives and Senate, where do they come from? They come from areas that the President is comfortable. Do you honestly believe that the President will lose election in Sokoto? We are not God, but it’s one of his comfort zones.

    “If you bring the President on a sick bed to Bauchi and Kano, he will win and he has never lost election in Bauchi. But that is a bit arrogant on our side; we should not underestimate them.

    “I am not God. It is only God who can say the APC will win or not. But what is clear is that if you remove the God element, I think we are prepared to coast to victory because Nigerians will certainly reject a second looting. Nigeria can’t survive a second looting. Never!”

    He said the delay by the opposition party to name its candidate for the presidential election about six months to the election would work in favour of the ruling party.

    “In our time, it was clear who would be the APC candidate one year ahead of time,” he added.

     

  • Okonjo-Iweaa speaks out on allegations that she tagged Amaechi, Fashola ‘scavengers’

    Former Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has slammed those she termed “mischief-makers” for “putting words” in her mouth, saying she described former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Raji Fashola, now ministers, as scavengers.

    Okonjo-Iweala, who was also a former minister of finance during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was reacting to reports trending on the social media where she allegedly said ‘yesterday’s scavengers are today’s saints’.

    The two-time Minister of Finance was said to have stated this in her book: ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous’.

    However, Okonjo-Iweala, who was also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, said those were not her words.

    Okonjo-Iweala said: “At no point in my book, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous’, did I say ‘yesterday’s scavengers are today’s saints’.

    “While I appreciate all the reviews and discourse the book is generating at home and abroad; mischief-makers who wish to add their comments should get their own copy of the book so that they can make intelligent contributions, rather than putting words in my mouth”.

    In the trending social media report, Okonjo-Iweala allegedly talked about the challenges she faced while trying to make the Nigerian Government save during the season of oil boom.

    The alleged report is reproduced below:

    “Rotimi Amaechi as Chairman of Nigeria governors Forum took Jonathan government for trying to save for raining season including Fashola and most APC members, today they are the ones shouting that the PDP did not save, hypocrites and liars.

    “We then established a stabilization mechanism and opened an account for the oil surplus, which posted up to $22 billion.

    “In 2008, when prices fell from 148 to $ 38 a barrel, no one has heard of Nigeria because the country was able to tap into this fund. And that, I am very proud [of].

    “When I returned to the department in 2011, there remained only $4 billion on this account (because part of the money saved was used to fund the amnesty programme for Niger Delta Militants embarked upon by the Yar’adua government) while the price of oil was very high!

    “I tried again to put money aside. The PRESIDENT agreed, but the GOVERNORS did not accept.

    “I suffered a lot of attacks from them (and they took us to the court up to the supreme court) and now that the country would really need this account, these same people accuse me of not having saved!

    “If Nigeria had been more careful, we would not be here today. It hurts me. We have the mechanism, we had the experience, but we were prevented to act.

    “Unfortunately, the same scavengers of yesterday are the saints of today.”

    According to Okonjo-Iweala, who is now Senior Advisor Lazard Ltd, Board Chair Gavi; Board Member AfricanRiskCapacity, the said report is the handiwork of mischief-makers.

    Okonjo-Iweala urged the mischief-makers who wish to add their comments to get their own copy of the book so that they could make intelligent contributions, rather than putting words in her mouth.

  • Commotion in Rivers as APC supporters invade, shut down court [video]

    Commotion in Rivers as APC supporters invade, shut down court [video]

    There wa commotion in Rivers State on Friday when hundreds of youths suspected to be loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, with the aid of the police shut down the Rivers State judiciary Friday morning.

    The youths reportedly stormed the judiciary as early as 6.45am and locked the gates of the High Court Complex, beating up both lawyers and litigants who tried to gain access into the complex while the police who came in several vans watched.

    The Chief Security Officer of the complex, Mr. Douglas, said that the youths locked the gates by 6.45am and beat up several persons.

    According to TheNewsGuru’s findings, the move by the thugs was to forestall the court from sitting so that it would not grant an injunction sought by Senator Magnus Abe to stop the local government congress of the APC slated for Saturday.

    Magnus Abe, senator representing Rivers south east, had gone to the court to seek an injunction restraining the faction under Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, from holding local government congress of the party on Saturday.

    Abe had alleged that there was no congress across the 319 wards in the state but Amaechi said the exercise held peacefully.

    The youths on arriving at the court premises padlocked the gates and chased the judges, lawyers and litigants away and laid siege to the complex.

    However, the incident took a turn for the worse when another group of youths suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and backed by another set of policemen stormed the place to open the gates.

    Violence erupted as both set of youths attacked one other with bottles and other dangerous weapons and in the process destroyed some structures within the complex.

    Video: Wike

    Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, visited the court to inspect the havoc wreaked by the suspects.

     

     

  • Amaechi, Abe trade words over violence at Rivers APC secretariat

    The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, and the Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, are in heated blame game over the violence at the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the eve of the party’s ward congresses in Rivers State.

    While Amaechi blames Abe’s supporters, the later has stated that the minister was responsible as the party faithful were peaceful until the police invited by the former governor harassed them.

    This is as the confusion over a supposedly court order stopping the congresses marred the exercise in the state.

    Persons suspected to be members of the youth wing of the party on Friday invaded the state party secretariat at Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt and destroyed the building over what they described as the partisanship of the state executive of the party.

    Addressing journalists on the incident, Amaechi accused Abe of being behind the destruction at the party secretariat on Friday.

    He also said there was as no court injunction stopping the Ward congresses from holding in the 344 wards across the state.

    He insisted the ward congress went on successfully with the adoption of Option A-4 as the voting process.

    He further said that Abe wants to run for the governorship of the state on the platform of APC in 2019 without passing through the governorship primaries, saying he never hijacked electoral materials for the ward congress, as alleged by the senator and his supporters.

    Amaechi, who is the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, also denied moving about in Port Harcourt with over a platoon of soldiers and more than 200 personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS), as alleged by his successor, Governor Nyesom Wike.

    The minister said, “I have not left this house since morning. A lot of people are complaining about internal democracy in the APC. So, why are they running away from internal democracy? Let’s go and queue up behind the candidates we want. As early as 6:00am, saturday, I gathered that thugs had taken over the Rivers State secretariat of APC

    “In view of the noise, policemen found it difficult to take action, in spite of their being invited to protect the property by the leadership of Rivers APC.

    “The party needed to sell forms to anybody who was interested. What the governorship aspirant (Abe) wanted to do was that there should be no congress. He (Abe) took over the entire secretariat (of Rivers APC) with thugs.

    “At 3:00pm, policemen had to force themselves in, to be able to sell forms and for people to be able to purchase forms for saturday’s ward congress.

    “If that candidate (Abe) is popular, why didn’t he ask his supporters to buy forms, go and compete at the wards? I am grateful that people bought forms and I hope that his (Abe) supporters also bought forms. By saturday), there will be congress. I do not carry thugs about.

    But Abe blamed Amaechi for the sacking of the party secretariat, accusing the minister of steps that are not in accordance with the interest of the party.

    His words: “I am amused by some of these allegations and stories that are making the headlines. For the records the disagreement between me and the Minister is political. He is the leader of the party but he has said publicly on several occasions that he can never support me, that means the entire country knows that he cannot pretend to be neutral in any matter in which my interest and the interests of those interested in me are concerned. But as the leader it is his responsibility to provide a level playing field for all of us.

    “We are politicians, tomorrow when we need voters, who will those people branded as thugs be? People paid for forms, they had their tellers and no one was telling them what was going on, they besieged the state secretariat for explanations. Rather than the leader to come and address them they brought armed policemen to open fire on innocent party men and women. That is what led to damage at the secretariat. They were there from morning and there was no violence until the police came and opened fire on APC members who were totally peaceful.Who authourised the shooting and why?”

  • Amaechi reveals how Opobo people can ‘sack’ Gov Wike in 2019

    …says blame your chiefs if you don’t get governorship seat

    Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday, told Opobo people of Rivers to blame their leaders if one of them failed to emerge governor in 2019.

    He stated this at a reception organised by Free Rivers Development Initiative (FRDI) to honour him and Dr Dakuku Peterside, Director-General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Opobo.

    Amaechi said that the Ikwerre chiefs were not united in the struggle to elect their subject as governor of Rivers.

    “If you don’t get the governorship of Rivers in 2019, blame your chiefs for not having a united front,” he said.

    He charged the people to join the struggle for the race, saying “people of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area must mobilise strongly and sack Gov. Nyesom Wike in 2019.

    “Let me tell you the honest truth, you must start mobilising now because you have not shown enough anger that you want the current government in the state out in 2019.”

    The former governor of the state said that his administration would have reclaimed more land for Opobo town but for the difficulty in getting more sand in the river.

    “If you ask Peterside, your son, we were supposed to do more land reclamation than what we did, but unfortunately there was no sand in the river.

    “We are not here for talk about what we did, but we will soon compare my first tenure as governor and that of Wike.

    “We are here to show gratitude to Opobo people for showing us love, especially Dr Sam Jaja, Chairman, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Governing Board,” he said.

    On his part, Peterside described Amaechi as a kind-hearted person that was always willing to take up the responsibility of others.

    Peterside said that it was uncommon to take up responsibility for people’s challenges, but that the Transportation Minister had lived a life in fighting for others.

    “My leader, Amaechi took up the challenges of the development of Rivers and beyond that, fought for us all,” he said.

    Peterside said that Amaechi as governor, apart from former President Shehu Shagari’s administration, reclaimed more land in Opobo more than any other administration.

    He disclosed that all the modern functional primary schools and health centres in the local government are were built by Amaechi’s administration.

    “Before the administration of Chibuike Amaechi in Rivers, we had no resident medical doctors and less than 20 teachers in the area.

    “When he came in as governor, he ensured that we had almost 100 teachers and five medical doctors in Opobo town.

    “He initiated the Opobo Fish Farm,” he said.

    He added that the administration sent 27 Opobo/Nkoro children abroad on scholarship.

  • Amaechi inaugurates new governing boards of five agencies

    The Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has inaugurated the governing board of five agencies under the ministry, charging them to work in line with the policy direction of the Federal Government.

    The minister performed the inauguration of the five agencies at the Office of the Secretary of the Federation (OSGF) on Friday in Abuja.

    The boards of the agencies inaugurated included those of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN).

    Others were: Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) and Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology (NITT).

    Amaechi reminded the boards of their roles of setting operational and administrative policies for their respective agencies, in line with government policy direction.

    “We expect them to perform their responsibilities; the ministry will not oversee them unnecessarily.

    “We will play a supervisory role, but we will want to make sure that there is peace.

    “Nigerians don’t want to hear stories; they want us to deliver, so we expect the boards to deliver in that line

    “We know that there are challenges but they have to deliver on their mandate,“ he said.

    Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim, Chairman Governing Board of NIWA, in his remark, appreciated the Federal Government for giving them the opportunity to serve.

    He stated that the boards would deliver on their mandate.

    “We want the president to know that we accept to key into his struggle to take this nation to greater heights.”

    Mr Ademola Seriki, Chairman Governing Board of MAN, said that the board would understudy the situation on ground at the agency, through the Interim Management Committee (IMC).

    He expressed his readiness to work with the members and staff of MAN to develop the academy and to meet international standard.

  • Ease of Doing Business: Amaechi assures stakeholders of safe maritime domain

    …As Dakuku calls for more support

    The Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has assured stakeholders in the maritime sector that the Federal Government will leave no stone unturned in actualizing its goal for a safer and more secured maritime domain in the Nigeria maritime space.

    The Minister who said this during a one-day stakeholders’ interactive forum held in Warri, Delta State with the theme; “Implementation of Executive Order One (1) – Ease of Doing Business in a secure maritime environment” noted that one of the factors militating against the success of the maritime sector is insecurity in the Niger Delta region, which he said is also hampering the growth and development of the region.

    Amaechi also used the opportunity to charge the Stakeholders to collaborate with the government in order to actualize its policies and also join force together to frustrate efforts by saboteurs who are bent on distorting government’s efforts of realizing a robust and crime free maritime domain.

    “We must resist the efforts of some unscrupulous individuals trying to frustrate government’s efforts in ensuring safety and security of our maritime domain, because private interest should not and cannot supersede national interest. On our part at government, we will do all we can to ensure we secure the Nigerian waterways”, Amaechi said.

    Speaking further, the Minister also commended the efforts of the Agencies under the watch of the Ministry of Transportation for their astuteness in ensuring that the sector gets the desired attention and challenged them not to rest on their oars in ensuring that the Federal Government’s policy on ease of doing business is realized.

    In the same vein, the Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside who delivered a goodwill message called on the industry players to continue to support government policies.

    The DG who described the maritime industry as a multi-stakeholder industry that plays an important role in the growth of the nation, noted that without the sector, we cannot fund the budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    “In our industry, all of us are equally important and have our different roles; but it is only when we work synergistically that we can accomplish great results. For us in NIMASA, we have our eyes on the ball and the different achievements made in recent times is because of the roles of the different Stakeholders”, Dr. Peterside Dakuku stated.

    He also said that in the past few months the Agency has made significant progress in various areas such as; sponsoring 298 cadets to do sea time training in United Kingdom and Egypt; Nigeria has moved up in ease of doing business; also it is a fact that because of the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS), in the past six months we have had over 200 seafarers onboard different Cabotage vessel, amongst other developmental initiatives.

    Speaking further, the NIMASA DG hinted that the Agency is in talks with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) which is at its advanced stage, leading to the engagement of over 100 brand new Cabotage vessels in the oil and gas industry.

    Dr. Peterside also used the opportunity to thank the Minister of Transportation for his focused and dynamic leadership he has provided for the sector and assured him of the unalloyed support of the Agencies under his watch, working towards a common goal to reposition the maritime sector. “At the end of the day, the industry will be better for it and we will all benefit”.

    Also, several Stakeholders in the industry threw their weight behind the maritime Agencies and pledged their continuous support to the growth and development of the maritime sector.

    The event had in attendance the Chairman House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon Umar Bago who also stated that the Legislative House will do all it can within its powers to ensure the ease of doing business in the maritime sector. Also present at the event are; the Chairman of the NIMASA Governing Board, Maj. Gen Jonathan India Garba (Rtd.), the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA), Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Ms Bala Hadiza Usman, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Hassan Bello. Other stakeholders from the private sector present at the event include, President Nigerian Shipowners Forum,Margaret Orakwusi, Ify Akerele as well as the Chairman, Truck Owners Association, Chief Aderemi Ogungbemi amongst other notable stakeholders.

    The maritime Stakeholders’ interactive forum is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Transportation geared towards bringing the government to the people so that challenges and solutions will be discussed and brought to a roundtable, all with the sole aim developing the maritime sector for greater efficiency and all-inclusive participation. The 2018 edition is the 2nd in the series.

     

  • 2019: PDP blasts Amaechi; says ‘Buhari’s government swimming in corruption’

    2019: PDP blasts Amaechi; says ‘Buhari’s government swimming in corruption’

    Opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Friday reacted to a statement by the Minister of Transport and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, that re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 was the best way to stop the return of corruption.

    Recall that the minister had on Thursday said that corruption will return to the country “automatically” if Nigerians vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

    The PDP said the minister’s statement was incongruous and accused the Buhari administration of “swimming in an ocean of corruption.”

    “It is unfortunate that Amaechi and others like him are yet to come to terms with the fact that Nigerians now know that the APC deceived them into believing that they were saints while others are all corrupt, and as such ready to square the APC a reprisal in 2019,” the opposition party said in a statement by its spokesperson.

    “Amaechi’s approach is typical of an overwhelmed salesman of a rejected product who must engage in a shouting bout to gratify his desperate paymasters.

    “By trying to re-enact the outworn APC propaganda of tagging others as corrupt while vainly posturing as saints, the campaign director has not only exposed their disdain for Nigerians but also the fact that the Presidency and the APC are now mortally afraid of the repositioned and re-oriented PDP ahead of the general elections.

    “PDP therefore challenge the minister to address the nation on what the Buhari Presidency has done about the allegations by the Rivers State government that he frittered away funds meant for the development of the state when he was governor.

    “What action has the Buhari Presidency taken about allegations that former APC governors, including his campaign director, allegedly stole money belonging to their states to fund his 2015 presidential campaign?

    “What has this minister to say on the failure of the Buhari Presidency to act on the leaked memo showing corrupt oil contracts at the NNPC to the tune of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) in a sector under President Buhari’s direct supervision as Minister of Petroleum?

    “What has the minister to say to the fact that the Presidency has continued to provide cover to officials involved in sneaky oil subsidy deals and alleged diverting of N1.1trillion worth of crude last year to service APC interests?

    “What about the cover provided for corrupt cabinet ministers including those indicted for extorting funds from parastatals under the guise of loans, those found to have corruptly enriched themselves, the mainagate as well as the recall by the Presidency of the suspended Director General of the National Health Insurance Scheme while he was still being quizzed by the EFCC?

    “Instead of their posturing, the APC and the Buhari Presidency should rather be remorseful and stop wasting their time as nothing will make Nigerians change their minds about voting them out of office come 2019 in favour of the repositioned PDP.”

  • Reps give Amaechi 72hours ultimatum to tender documents on $195m contract

    House of Representatives on Tuesday directed the Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, and other stakeholders to produce the documents on the $195m waterways security contract awarded to an Israeli security firm within 72 hours.

    The Federal Government had approved the contract in October 2017 for waterways security.

    It was approved for HLSI Security Systems and Technologies, an Israeli firm.

    The contract involves the procurement of security equipment, training of the country’s security operatives, particularly, the Navy, to combat waterways crimes.

    Ameachi himself had confirmed in Lagos during the 2017 World Maritime Day, which had the theme, ‘Connecting Ships, Ports and People.’’’

    The minister gave details, “When you see the equipment on the waterways, people will know they are safe and secured. Mr. President has kindly approved that, and that is being done through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.

    “In the three years, they will train our Navy, our Army and our Police so that we can stop spending money escorting boats and vessels on our waterways.

    “Currently, Maersk told me they spend between $15m and $18m annually to those escorting their vessels from one point to another on our waterways. We should be able to deflate that by next year so that people can do their businesses on our waterways without any fear of being attacked or harassed.

    “The Israelis have assured us that after the training of our security operatives, such harassment and attacks on our waterways will not happen again.

    “They even said we should hold them accountable if such harassment persists on our waterways after the training. That is one achievement that has happened under our leadership in the maritime sector.”

    But the House resolved to probe the contract after up to 10 civil society organisations petitioned Amaechi, warning the Federal Government against proceeding with the contract.

    They had observed that such contracts could have security implications for the country by exposing its waterways to foreign hands.

    The House Committee on Public Petitions chaired by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Abia State, Mr. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, is investigating the contract.

    A session convened at the National Assembly in Abuja to investigate the issue was stalled on Tuesday after lawmakers could not lay their hands on the contract papers.

    Expressing the frustration of the committee, Nkem-Abonta stated, “We have been demanding these documents and we have received no responses. This is about the 8th hearing on this issue.

    “If the contractual documents and agreements cannot be produced within the next 72hours, we will be forced to close this matter and make our recommendations to the House.”

    Another member of the committee from Lagos State, Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye, expressed displeasure over the situation, saying that the House was being taken for granted.

    “There is no point giving the stakeholders extra 72 hours since tax payers’ money is involved. We should just close the matter.”

    He argued that further giving the stakeholders another 72 hours was a waste of parliamentary time.

    However, Nkem-Abonta intervened, urging his colleagues to give Amaechi one last chance with the 72-hour grace.

    He added, “Let us still give them the benefit of the doubt; after 72 hours we can close the matter.

    “For now, my ruling is that all relevant stakeholders should stay action in all activities pending the outcome of House resolution on the issue.

    “We have wasted so much parliamentary time on this issue that we will close the matter immediately after 72 hours.”

  • Rivers massacre: Wike devilishly refused to halt violence, killings in Rivers – Amaechi

    The former Governor of Rivers state and now Minister of Transport, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has condemned the New Year Day massacre in Omoku community in Rivers state while accusing his successor Governor Nyesom Wike of deliberately refusing to halt violence and killings in the state.

    The transport minister who accused the Governor of failing to keep to the oath he swore upon assuming office as the chief security officer of the state by protecting the lives of the Rivers people, however, called on the Governor to resign from office.

    Amaechi who gave the statement in a recorded broadcast he addressed to Rivers people, said that Wike lacks the political will and has “devilishly refused to halt the violence and killings, and restore some level of sanity in the State because of their mischievous politics and voodoo electoral calculations.”

    He however said that while he was the Governor of the state, that he took the protection of the lives of Rivers people very seriously.

    The Transport Minister however lamented how the wanton killings in Rivers have made the state to be referred to as “Rivers of Blood” under the current leadership of the Wike-led administration.

    Amaechi who condemned Wike’s blaming of the massacre and insecurity in the state on opposition politicians and oil companied also said that “the governor and Chief Security Officer of the State who swore an oath to protect us must now protect us or resign from office.”

    According to him, Wike’s “repugnant attempt at finger pointing, blaming oil companies, opposition politicians and everyone else apart from himself, is a clear indication that he has abdicated his primary constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and property.”

    He also said that “We cannot continue to live like this. We will no longer tolerate his inability and/or refusal to protect defenseless citizens. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”

    Saying the bloodbath in Rivers is enough, the minister also added that “The Omoku massacre is the breaking point where we must all collectively rise up and raise our voices to say we’ve had enough.”

    “Amaechi’s words in full: ” In the past few years, we have suffered and endured a debilitating state of insecurity in Rivers state. Many lives have been cut short while many more have been maimed. Hopes and dreams have been dashed; families distraught and destroyed. Murderous cult groups and rival gangs reign supreme. Our once peaceful State has lost its serenity and lustre. We are now been derisively referred to as ‘Rivers of Blood’.
    However, the killings in Omoku in the first few hours of this new year and the uninspiring, inept, blame-game response of a State government that swore to an oath to protect every Rivers man and woman should collectively compel us to action and scream that we’ve had enough of the insecurity and bloodbath.
    In the early hours of New Year’s Day, defenceless residents of Omoku were gruesomely attacked and murdered on their way home from the new year cross over night church service. 23 men, women and children were murdered in the attack. In the first couple of days of this new year, people have also been murdered in Andoni and Egbeda.
    “Some 48 hours after the Omoku massacre, the response of the governor and government of Rivers State whose primary responsibility is to protect you from these kind of attacks was a gabble blather about a two hundred million naira bounty and to launch another round of attacks on me because I politely advised them to protect Rivers people or resign from office.
    “Like most of you, I was shocked, utterly disgusted to hear the man, who, I must repeat, took an oath to protect you, attempts to justify and casually explain away the cold-blooded murder of innocent Rivers people in Omoku on New Year’s Day. The governor’s attempt to justify and compare the Omoku murders or any other killings in Rivers State to whatever is happening in any other part of the country is a deceitful, poisonous narrative that we must never allow to flourish. The governor’s repugnant attempt at finger pointing, blaming oil companies, opposition politicians and everyone else apart from himself, is a clear indication that he has abdicated his primary constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and property.
    “You know, and many outside Rivers State know that the nature and type of insecurity, violence and carnages in the State are unique and peculiar to the State. The madness in Rivers State since the advent of these NEW men of power is rooted firmly in the witchcraft politics of those who now preside over the affairs of the State. They lack the political will and have devilishly refused to halt the violence and killings, and restore some level of sanity in the State because of their mischievous politics and voodoo electoral calculations.
    “Let no one deceive you with a twisted narrative on the origins, causes and solutions to the bloodbath in Rivers State. Most of you can attest to how I battled and tackled insecurity when I served as your governor. I led the fight against the cultists, gangs, thugs and criminals masquerading as militants; they were driven out from hiding, many fled the State. I was able to do that because I was never in bed with the criminals; I never appointed any into political office or crowned any king. The administration I led was able to return the State to serenity from the horrible state of insecurity and violence we met when we took over. Rivers people enjoyed peace until the months leading up to the 2015 general elections when these ‘new’ men of power in the state introduced unprecedented violence and killings in the State.
    “We cannot continue to live like this. The Omoku massacre is the breaking point where we must all collectively rise up and raise our voices to say we’ve had enough. The governor and Chief Security Officer of the State who swore an oath to protect us must now protect us or resign from office. We will no longer tolerate his inability and/or refusal to protect defenceless citizens. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
    “My thoughts and prayers are with all who lost loved ones in the Omoku attack, as we continue to pray for the repose of the souls of those who were murdered. I assure you that the federal government will begin to protect you.
    I wish everyone the very best and a peaceful, happy new year.”