The Rivers State Government has issued a statement saying its
governor, Rotimi Amaechi has been arrested and being held hostage by
security operatives in Odudu, Ondo state.
The governor, the
statement said, was arrested as he made his way to Ado-Ekiti for a
political rally by his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi.
Read full statement below.
The
Rivers State Government is concerned about the safety of Governor
Amaechi who is right now being held hostage commando style by soldiers
and federal government security agents in Odudu, Ondo state.
Governor
Amaechi as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ forum and as an APC
governor and chieftain had left Port Harcourt this morning for Ekiti
state where he was to join his brother governor in his last mega rally
before the elections.
Governor Amaechi was ambushed and refused entry into Ekiti by
military personnel acting on orders from above. He made to turn back and
return to Akure where his chattered aircraft was parked but was chased
and rounded by armed soldiers and security personnel in Odudu, Ondo
state. According to the captain who led the operation, he had orders not
to allow the governor entry or exit.
In the meantime, the
chattered aircraft that conveyed he governor has been grounded while the
minsters of Defence, police Affairs and Minister of state for Defence
have landed the Akure airport.
The Rivers State government is
especially worried that Federal government and President Jonathan have
singled out Governor Amaechi for harassment and attack.
While we
hold the person and office of the President in utmost regards, we
believe that it is unacceptable that the presidency would disrespect the
person and office of an elected governor of a federating unit and
consistently hound him.
The Rivers state government is all more worried as Ondo saga is
coming on the heels of a plot by six PDP lawmakers this morning to carry
out a kangaroo impeachment of the duly elected governor of Rivers
State, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, con first at Krisdara hotels and
later Bauchi street, Port Harcourt.
Ordinarily such banality
should be ignored as it neither is legal nor constitutional. However in
the light of the recent attempts to hoist a Chief Judge on Rivers people
through the back door and the attendant rumours that the reason for
that desperate act was to make it easier for the PDP to actualize its
sinister daydream of ousting Governor Amaechi before May 29, 2015, we
believe that it has become necessary to draw the attention of Rivers
people, Nigerians and the international community to the situation in
Rivers State.
Only yesterday, in preparation for this tragicomedy, the Rivers State
chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused Governor Amaechi
of importing terrorists into the state and the region. They continued
their diatribe by demanding that the governor of Rivers State be put
under surveillance. The State Government wouldn’t have dignified the
PDP’s display of ignorance with a response but for the fact that these
accusations coupled with today’s actions are omniuos signs of how far
the PDP is willing to go in its quest to cling onto power by all means.
The
antecedents of impunity on the part of the leadership of the PDP are
instructive and the party’s desperation to harm and stop anyone they
perceive as major threat to their crumpling electoral fortunes next year
is no longer news. The detention attempt and incident at the Kano
International Airport last week are still fresh in the minds of
Nigerians. Also, the call to put Gov Amaechi under surveillance (or is
it house arrest?) on the same day that PDP started effort to unseat the
Governor of Adamawa State, His Excellency, Murtala Nyako, is enough
indication of the script already written by a jittery PDP
It is
sad that the insane minds of the authors of the PDP accusation are
jeopardizing police investigations of the 486 travellers who were
intercepted in Aba, Abia State, and who are still being screened. One
only wishes that the PDP would address the issues of the insecurity in
the country with as much fervor and vigour as it deploys towards witch
hunting its political opponents
The River Government wishes to
state that the world knows those who feather the nest of cultists and
militants and for whom they are canon fodder. Governor Amaechi’s
position on cultisim, violence and insecurity are clear as is his
commitment to fighting poverty and improving the lives of our present
and future generations
Although, I have not had the privilege
of meeting him in person, I have heard much about his achievements since
he became the governor of the state.
