With the tensed political situation in Rivers State, Bisi Olaniyi in Port Harcourt writes that the people of the Niger Delta state may only heave a sigh of relief after the 2015 elections.
In spite of the ban on political activities by the controversial Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, are still battling each other over 2015.
Mbu, fondly described as “Super Cop” by the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers chapter and recommended for redeployment in Borno or Yobe State by the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and the Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, on February 3, banned political rallies in Rivers State.
Rivers police commissioner declared that the ban would affect the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), which has Wike as the grand patron and the pro-Amaechi’s Save Rivers Movement (SRM) and the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation (RIVLEAF), as well as other political groups, until 90 days to elections. He cited the Electoral Act as his authority.
The ban on political activities by the police in Rivers has been condemned by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), GDI, the APC, SRM and allies of Amaechi and Wike.
The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, expressed shock over the ban, at a time the APC was commencing registration of members nationwide, which he described as a ploy by the police to prevent members of the party from participating in the important exercise.
The Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, reminded Mbu that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria allows for freedom of association and freedom of expression, warning the police against double standard.
The Rivers PDP said it was not satisfied with the ban on political rallies and protests in the state, alleging that the Rivers police command had succumbed to the pressure and blackmail by the Rivers government, SRM and the APC.
While appearing on Channels Television on February 3, Wike declared that Amaechi had lost focus and never contributed to his rise in politics or his nomination for ministerial appointment, stating that the monorail in the Rivers state capital is a waste of funds and abandoned.
The NGF chairman, however, described the supervising minister of education as a liar, who is distorting facts and should be ignored, insisting that the outbursts were completely false and misleading, while maintaining that he remained focused and determined to develop Rivers state and adequately empower the people, with work ongoing at the monorail site.
With the declaration by the minister of state for education, most persons are finding it difficult to believe that two-term Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers state (Wike), is a former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and the Director-General of Amaechi Campaign Organisation in 2011.
The Rivers governor declared that the supervising minister of education and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Austin Opara, betrayed him and connived to fight him for personal and selfish interests.
Amaechi, at an interactive session with journalists, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, also declared that the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, wanted to micro-manage governance in the state, but he refused.
He said by the time the First Lady, an indigene of Okrika, the headquarters of Okrika LGA of Rivers state, where the ex-leader of the Niger Delta Vigilance Movement, Ateke Tom, hails from, brought out militants, Rivers state had almost got to zero point of no kidnapping in Port Harcourt.
Amaechi declared that it would be difficult for the PDP to win the presidential election in 2015, while assuring that more PDP governors would soon leave for the APC.
He described the PDP as a drowning, chop-I-chop party, while referring to the APC as the change agent, which he said was gradually forming government and gave an assurance that before March 2014, the opposition party would take over the Senate, having become the majority in the House of Representatives, with the defection of many federal lawmakers.
The NGF chairman maintained that the APC would not take Nigerians for granted, like the PDP, with the opposition party to do things differently and better, stating that he never cared about the activities of the GDI, describing the members as very hungry people.
Wike, while responding, declared that Amaechi was confused, a dictator, who would not be able to deliver Rivers for the APC, having lost control, while maintaining that the GDI members were not hungry.
The minister said: “It is not new to us that Amaechi is saying GDI members are hungry. Amaechi’s father was not the Managing Director of Shell or Agip or owner of any bank in Nigeria or West Africa. He is of a humble beginning.
“It baffles me whenever Amaechi says GDI members are hungry. It is unbecoming of a governor. Prince Chibudom Nwuche (a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, from Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State) has challenged Amaechi to report him to the police or the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission).
“Amaechi is very corrupt. He has lost control of Rivers State. It is unfortunate that Amaechi could describe PDP as chop-I-chop party. PDP made him Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and Rivers Governor. He is an ingrate. He is a dictator.
“PDP is not a drowning party. Amaechi, now a member of the APC, cannot win any election in his Ubima Ward 8 (Ikwerre LGA). Amaechi is involved in a show of shame. He is a liar. He is deceiving Buhari, Tinubu and other APC’s leaders. Amaechi cannot deceive Rivers people.”
He said Rivers State would never belong to the opposition, stressing that the PDP would continue to win the Niger Delta state.
Wike urged his teeming supporters, other Rivers people and Nigerians to continue to support the “performing” President Jonathan, whom he said was determined to transform Nigeria and to ensure his re-election in 2015.
Amaechi stated that another reason for leaving the PDP was the Rivers oil wells, ceded to the neighbouring Bayelsa state, where President Jonathan hails from, which he described as the height of injustice.
He said: “They took Soku oil wells from us and they took 41 oil wells from Etche to Abia State. Should I remain in that kind of party that is denying Rivers State its resources?
“If you keep quiet to injustice, you will be visited with more injustice. But if you fight back, then when they are meeting, they will say this man will cause trouble, give him his own. Let us punish others. That is why Rivers people must rise.
“The problem with most Nigerian politicians is that they do not know the meaning of truth. They do not care, because you do not care. Because you do not hold them accountable, they just do anything they like.
The NGF chairman also stated that he was not bothered about the activities of the GDI and Wike.
Amaechi said: “I do not talk about those people who call themselves GDI. For me, they are not important, because that is not the fight. Those people do not even have the same agenda as the President (Jonathan). Their agenda is they cannot survive poverty.
“What they (GDI members) are trying to do is how to win Rivers State and share the money. They are not fighting for President Jonathan. What is driving them mad about Obio/Akpor LG Council? I did not know that individuals working in my government were sharing Obio/Akpor LG council’s money and they were not ashamed.
“The day you ask your subordinate money from his office, that is the day you lose your respect. Once you steal one million, your subordinate will steal some too. You will lose your voice, character and respect. I do not care about the GDI people. They are very hungry.
“They (GDI members) cannot survive poverty. They are thieves and I have evidence that they are thieves. They were given contracts, which they abandoned. The road from Eneka to Rukpokwu (in Port Harcourt), of over one billion, somebody who was in my government, who is now in Abuja, took that contract and abandoned it. 2013 Christmas, he sent wrappers to them. Where did he get the money from? From their road. Let them come for a debate.
“I called Chibudom’s (Nwuche, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, from Aboada East LGA of Rivers State) name, because he has been confronting me. I gave him contract to build schools and I paid him. He cannot show evidence that he has completed the schools.
“He (Nwuche) was deputy speaker, he could not do road to his village. I am now doing the road. As Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I made sure there was a road to my village (Ubima in Ikwerre LGA).
“I brought light (electricity) into Ubima. I did streets’ roads in Ubima, even as Speaker and I did a road from Isiokpo (Ikwerre LG headquarters) to my village, as Speaker. Chibudom was Deputy Speaker and enjoyed being called tiger. Tiger does not make noise.”
Amaechi also described his defection from the PDP to the APC as a step in the right direction, in order to move Rivers State and Nigeria forward.
He said: “If I have to offer Nigerians good governance. If I have to defend democracy, then I have to go to a better party, not a party that will take Nigerians for granted. As far as PDP is concerned, whether you like it or not, you have already finished voting. They will only announce the results in their favour.
“They know that what we (APC leaders) are preaching is that Nigerians must defend their votes. If you are a farmer, you will go with your machetes, vote and defend your votes. Once they see you like that, even policemen will be careful. Once people start defending their votes, all these thieves will run away.
“Projects coming to Rivers State are now being taken to the President’s State (Bayelsa). The Zonal Air Force Base that Yar’Adua brought to Rivers State is now in Bayelsa State. Soku oil wells have gone. Only people who do not like Rivers State will remain in the PDP.
“The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (on Bonny Island in Rivers State) is even the worst. The members of the board and management of the NLNG came to me and pleaded with me to speak with the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) to allow them to do Train Seven in Bonny, that will employ 10,000 Rivers people and others.
“I approached the NNPC and I went to the Petroleum Ministry. I do not want to call names, because most of them are my friends. They told me no. I thought it was a joke. That time, there was no quarrel between me and President Jonathan, because we had just finished elections (2011) and we were still chummy-chummy.
“I met with President Jonathan to kindly speak with officials of the NNPC and the Petroleum Ministry to allow NLNG to build Train Seven in Bonny, Rivers State. President Jonathan said he wanted them to finish Brass LNG in his Bayelsa State, before they could build Bonny NLNG’s Train Seven. Mr. President said no and that he directed the officials of the NNPC and the Petroleum Ministry to say what they said.
“Mr. President said right from when he was the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, he had been trying to get the Brass LNG and wants to get it now that he is the President. You cannot force investors. So, we must wait for Bayelsa State before Rivers State can grow.
“The implication is that Rivers State will not grow until Goodluck Jonathan finishes his Presidency. Is that a good government? Is that a good party? Should I remain there? If I was lying, they would have replied me. What is Southsouth President? There is only one thing in politics, which is interest. You cannot play politics of Nigeria with religion or ethnicity.”
The NGF chairman also described himself as a detribalised Nigerian, who had never and would not play politics with religion or ethnicity.
He said: “President Jonathan is a member of O. O. Obu (Olumba Olumba Obu, with headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State). Is it not a Christian group? I am a very proud Catholic. President Jonathan is a member of O. O. Obu. I heard he attends Anglican Church now.
“If they invite me tomorrow to O. O. Obu, I will go and dance there. That does not mean we should not relate well with our brothers who are Muslims.
“They denied Rivers people water, because Governor Amaechi is quarrelling with President Jonathan. Is that fair? World Bank and AfDB (African Development Bank) are ready, but they are playing politics. I will not blame the President. I am surprised about the attitude of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Finance Minister), because she belongs to an international organisation (World Bank).
“I drink free bottled water. Even if I want to bathe with bottled water, I will bathe with it, but they are denying Rivers people the opportunity to have water in their homes.
“They impounded the Rivers State Government’s plane and also impounded the two surveillance/security helicopters bought by the Rivers State Government, with President Jonathan’s approval.
“The helicopters would have been flying round Rivers State in 24 hours, so that when crimes are committed, the criminals will be picked. The day we showed it to the President, he was so happy. The oil companies were also happy, that it would reduce crude oil theft.
“The monitors of the helicopters will be in Government House, Port Harcourt, and also with the navy, air force, army, police and SSS (State Security Service). Nobody can deny that they did not see the criminals.
“We held series of meetings with the oil companies on maintenance of the helicopters. They all agreed. The Federal Government has refused to allow the helicopters to be brought into Nigeria from the US. We are paying tax now on the aircraft. Rivers State should suffer because the President is quarrelling with Governor Amaechi.”
The Rivers governor also stated that governance should not be based on sentiments, while assuring that the APC would bring about Nigeria of the founding fathers’ dream from 2015, while insisting that the state was not broke, but had financial difficulties, making it to be under immense pressure.
As a man of peace, Amaechi said he had privately met with President Jonathan, before going public with their quarrel, while insisting that he needed to take action, in the interest of Rivers people.
He insisted that he did not make any demand to President Jonathan, before defecting to the APC, noting that the defecting governors had made up their minds to leave the PDP, in order to fight impunity.
The NGF chairman stated that the disagreement between him and the President was not personal, while still respecting him, but maintained that Rivers interest must be protected.
He stated that if a former Head of State, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari or a Southsouth person emerged as the presidential candidate of the APC in 2015, so be it, while noting that there would be no imposition of candidates or zoning and the processes would be transparent and different from that of the PDP.
Amaechi reiterated that all attempts to remove him had failed; stressing that change was needed in Nigeria democratically, to reduce the level of corruption, while admonishing the Rivers people and other Nigerians not to listen to the deceit of the leaders of the PDP and the GDI.
When officers and students of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Plateau State visited Amaechi at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers state, he declared that the desperation by Abuja forces over 2015, was the cause of insecurity in the Niger Delta state.
He also attributed the dwindling fortunes of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Rivers state to the rising insecurity in the state.
The Rivers governor said the insecurity came at a time when desperate politicians resorted to power-play at the national level, ahead of the 2015 elections and the recent influx of political thugs and miscreants, that were chased out of the state when he assumed office in 2007.
He said: “Things were improving before now, with the Army, Police and the State Security Service (SSS), which enabled us to arrest the insecurity in the state. But recently, because of the power-play at the national level, ahead of the 2015 elections, the security of the state degenerated badly, that one is wondering whether we should not differentiate between politics of election and politics of leadership.
“It is also important for you to know the economic interest of the people, and our private interest too. Now, people are being kidnapped. Because of the elections (2015), the Abuja front has released all the people (militants) we chased away out of Port Harcourt back into the state again.
“Now, you have young men carrying arms like soldiers to picture what it used to be in 2006 and 2007, because at that time, soldiers were being killed. When we came to power, we took over the situation. Even at that, we do not expect those, whose duty it is to protect us and serve the people, to be the same people who will bring them back to create insecurity. This has also impacted on our IGR, outside the oil theft and has emboldened those doing oil theft.
“If not for the insecurity in the state and if all companies that were here before had remained to operate their business, we would have been generating up to N10 billion monthly. Most of the companies ran to Lagos and some of them came to Port Harcourt, and later also ran back.
Amaechi also described the reckless disregard for the protection of lives and property in the state by men of the Nigeria Police Force as a serious lacuna, as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.
The NGF chairman said: “You are aware of the running battle between the Rivers State Government and the Police. We used to have a strong relationship with all security agents, including our Security Council meetings every month. Now, we do not have any of the meetings at all. Because, they say they are taking instructions from Abuja.
“You have a state in Nigeria that is helpless, in terms of security, whose citizens are not protected, just because of the 2015 elections. If they tell you that is not true, I will certainly give you names of those who have been kidnapped.
“I can recall that when I took over office in 2007, if there was a case of kidnap, within a short time of say two days, we would have rescued that person, because we have security equipment that can locate you and get you out. The military and the Police were ready to co-operate.
“It may interest you to also know that if I call the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, he will say, ‘Governor apply,’ it is ridiculous. When some high-ranking police officers come here and they hear it, they get very angry. But, before they get out of here, they will be ordered to come back to Abuja.”
The Rivers governor also told the officers and students of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College how his administration worked out feasible modalities that suddenly increased the state’s IGR from N2.5 billion to N6 billion monthly, shortly after he assumed office in 2007, without introducing new taxes.
Amaechi said: “When we took over power in 2007, we came to the conclusion that oil is not in the hands of the Rivers people. So, we need to run a different economy that we can give back to our people. We decided to diversify the economy to what we called the education economy. We felt we should reform the education sector and we felt we needed to do an overhaul of the primary education system.
“At this time, primary education by law or the Constitution, is the responsibility of the local government councils. We realised that we could not have made any progress in education, if we do not have the basics. So, we went into partnership with the local government councils, who were willing to handover the primary education system to the Rivers State Government. We took over the salaries of teachers, which was up to N2 billion per month.
“For the local government councils, they save N2 billion to pay the teachers monthly. We decided also to build new schools and demolished old ones. Teachers were poorly trained and we got the British Council involved to train our teachers.
“We have so far completed about 300 of the Model Primary Schools. 100 are under construction, while about 200 are nearing completion. Our target is 750, but we have financial problem now. The Federal Government said, it is oil theft, but whether it is oil theft or not, the effect has affected our oil revenue and it has depreciated so badly. Sometimes, our IGR aids us to do social projects.”
The Rivers government, the APC and the PDP also disagreed on the financial status of the Amaechi’s administration.
The Rivers government, through the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, and the APC, through its Interim Rivers Chairman, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, insisted that the state was not broke.
PDP’s Pastor Jerry Needam, the Special Adviser, Media to the Rivers Chairman of the party, Chief Felix Obuah, insisted that the state was broke, in view of its inability to meet its financial obligations.
Semenitari and Ikanya urged Rivers people to ignore the PDP’s claims, which were described as misleading, frivolous and ridiculous.
Rivers PDP, however, maintained that available evidence showed that the Amaechi’s administration could no longer meet its responsibilities, since it was broke.
PDP said: “We wonder how the Rivers Commissioner for Information will deny this glaring fact, in the face of the failure and collapse of almost all the social and public agencies in the state.
“The Commissioner’s brazen denial is laughable. We want Mrs. Semenitari to explain why the Rivers State Government still owes officers and men of the Rivers State Road Transport Management Authority (TIMA-RIV) for about six months.
“The newly-recruited 13,000 teachers are also owed six months’ salaries, roads and other infrastructural projects have been abandoned and there is delay in the release of the N300 million Christmas bonus meant for the civil servants in the state.
“The PDP also demands explanation from the Rivers Information Commissioner to justify the reason for the denial of funds for the full implementation of the 2013 budget by the various ministries, if the state is not broke.
“The revelation that the Rivers students abroad, on the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) sponsorship are stranded and at the verge of being thrown out by their universities, is a confirmation that the state’s treasury is empty.
“We still wonder in disbelief, why officials of the Rivers State Government will continue to deny the facts that are available at the doorposts of the people. A responsible government should be courageous enough to tell its citizens the truth, at least on the affairs of the state.
“If the state is not broke, let the pensioners receive their full gratuities, rather than the piecemeal, a style of payment which has never happened in Rivers State, except now that the state is in financial distress.”
The Rivers government has accused Mbu of attending political meetings in the houses of the leaders of the PDP and the GDI.
Wike, according to the chief of staff, Government House, Port Harcourt (Okocha), is campaigning to be the Rivers governor in 2015, but using President Jonathan as a smokescreen.
The Rivers commissioner for information and communications, when she appeared on Channels Television, also accused the Rivers police commissioner of hobnobbing with politicians who were opposed to the Rivers government and Amaechi.
Semenitari also stated that the Rivers police commissioner had restricted his job area to the protection of only members of the PDP and the GDI.
Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience and Wike will want the PDP to win Rivers state in 2015 at all costs, because of the 2 million votes, but the NGF chairman will prove to them that he is still in charge of the politics of the state and a force to reckon with, by delivering Rivers to the APC.
Only time will tell where the pendulum will swing in 2015, but peace must be given a chance in the volatile Niger Delta state.
