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Tag: Amaechi

  • No more police harassment in Rivers, says Amaechi

    No more police harassment in Rivers, says Amaechi

    Rivers State Governor and Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation Rotimi  Amaechi has said policemen would no longer be used  to harass the people.

    He spoke while interacting with All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters during his ward-to-ward campaign in Emohua and Ikwerre local government areas at the weekend.

    Amaechi urged the people to vote for the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

    Amaechi said: “Next week Saturday, I expect everybody to come out and vote. There will be no police molestation again. There will be no army harassment again.  Any police that molests you must be preparing to retire and this time, it will not be retirement, it will be punishment for retirement; so come out to vote. We are looking for you to come out to vote.

    “The reason why I am running from ward to ward is to encourage you to come out because after what the police and the army did  last time, everybody will be afraid to come out. Saturday, we should all come out to vote and as your governor, I urge you to vote for APC.”

    He re-emphasised that his administration would set up a commission of enquiry to look into election-related deaths.

    According to him, those found guilty by the law would be punished.

    “We have agreed to set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the killings so far. So, all those people who killed, we shall punish them. Whether they like it or not, they must account for everybody they killed.

    “For the police, we believe that by now they must have learnt their lesson. We believe that by now they must have known that they were politicians and not Nigerian Police. This Saturday, we expect them to be Nigerian Police and not Nigerian politicians.”

    In Emohua, the governor  campaigned in Ogbakiri, Ibaa, Obele, Rumuewhor Odegu and Elele.

    Also speaking to APC supporters in Ikwerre Local Government Area, particularly in Igwuruta, Ipo, Omademe, Ozuaha, Omuanwa, Isiokpo, Omagwa and Aluu, Amaechi told the people to vote APC all the way.

    Amaechi said the Buhari  administration would usher in people-oriented policies, programmes and projects.

    He said: “It is important that we all must come out to vote this time around, so that we can stop the PDP from writing election results for us. You cannot sit at home and win election. So, all of us must come out and vote for APC. APC party agents, this time around must take their duties seriously. All of us saw how the APC Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari won the election. We in Rivers State have a commitment to reflect our votes for Dr. Dakuku Peterside, so, we can carry on with development. We still have your roads to complete. The flyover at Rukpokwu, if we vote in APC, Dakuku as our governor, we will indeed have closer ties with the Federal Government, and I assure you industries and other developmental projects will be attracted to Rivers State. That is why we must all come out en masse to vote for APC in the upcoming Saturday guber and State Assembly elections. There are so many opportunities to benefit from if you vote APC. This is our opportunity and we can’t afford to miss it.”

    The governor urged women and youths to resist any attempt by the PDP to rig the Aprill 11 elections.

    “From today, women and youths will have to work until the guber and state Assembly elections are over. I can give you an example of what happened in Bauchi State, where youths and hunters took the decision to protect their votes from the polling units to the INEC office, until the votes were counted and declared. Here, our mothers and women should protect our votes from 7 a.m. at the polling units, until after voting and results are declared at the polling units. Please, don’t leave your polling units. The security agents are at polling units to protect you, don’t be scared of any arrest, exercise your franchise without fear.”

    Amaechi paid a condolence visit on late Ikechi Dimkpa’s family at Ipo community. The late Dimkpa was killed by suspected PDP political thugs during the presidential election.

    He promised to support the family of the bereaved. He also received defectors from the PDP.

  • What victory means, by Tambuwal, Amaechi, Onu

    What victory means, by Tambuwal, Amaechi, Onu

    Key leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday spoke on what the victory of Muhammadu Buhari means for the nation.

    Director General of the APC Campaign Organisation and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said the party will be magnanimous in victory and show Nigerians that there is basic difference between them and the ruling party.

    He told reporters at the party secretariat in Abuja that the challenges facing the nation are enormous, saying the victory is  not about celebration but the seriousness of governance.

    He said: “We will be magnanimous in victory. The challenges are so much. We must show the seriousness between us and the present government.

    “If we say there was incompetence, we must show competence, if we say there was corruption, we must show that we will not be corrupt, if we say that people were denied their basic rights, we must protect people’s right. If we say there is impunity, we must show there is rule of law. Once we show that, you will see the basic difference between us and the current government.

    “As director General of the campaign, I will be proud to tell my children that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the opposition party was able to root out the government in power by presenting a different picture of what life looks like and giving the people the courage to confront the current government and confront what was going on. Confront corruption and the reality of the fact that Nigerians are hungry. They don’t go to same market that Nigerians go to.

    “They have the kind of funds they want to have and eat the kind of food they want to eat. Let Nigerians know that Boko Haram was not all about religion alone and that there was element of poverty and ignorance as well as the issue of unemployment in the north and in the south and also the fact that we are one nation and that religion is not an issue in Nigeria.

    House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said:  “The mood is of thanksgiving to God and of course we are all happy with what is happening in the country”.

    Former Bayelsa State Governor Timipriye Silva said “the victory signifies positive change. It has been a hard- won victory as you know. They tried everything to subvert the victory, but God Almighty has granted us victory and we are happy.

    “You can see very clearly that democracy is maturing and coming of age in Nigeria.

    “In spite of what they tried to do to subvert democracy, in spite of what they did to muscle people in the Southsouth and the Southeast, democracy triumphed which is the most important thing today.

    “We built a national party around the General and of course it was that party that delivered him. This is not a sectional party but a party that cut across the country. It is a national government that is going to be formed because it was a national victory”.

    Party leader Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said: “We all know that Nigerians want change and we are happy that the. Change will come. For the party, we feel happy that Nigerians have accepted us and are giving us the opportunity to govern and we are going to show Nigerians that many of the problems that have remained intractable will be solved.”

  • Amaechi imposes curfew in Rivers

    Amaechi imposes curfew in Rivers

    The government of  Rivers State last night imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the state following the tense political  atmosphere.

    A statement by Information Commissioner Ibim Semenitari said: “Thegovernment has imposed a curfew in Rivers State from 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) to 6:00 am to prevent the breakdown of law and order because of the tense political situation.

    “Rivers, in the oil-producing Delta region, is a key battleground in the election, which is seen as the closest in Nigeria’s history.

    “The main national opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has held protests in the state capital Port Harcourt, accusing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of widespread vote-rigging.

    “Thousands of supporters took to the streets on Sunday and Monday, calling for the election to be re-run in the state, which is next door to President Goodluck Jonathan’s home in Bayelsa.

    “The APC controls Rivers after governor Rotimi Amaechi defected from the PDP in 2013 and he has since become a top critic of the government.

    “On Monday, female supporters of the APC were teargassed as they tried to converge on the offices of the local electoral commission.”

     

     

  • Amaechi narrowly escaped death in Port Harcourt

    Amaechi narrowly escaped death in Port Harcourt

    Barely 24 hours after the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, raised the alarm of plan by President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to assassinate him through operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), he narrowly escaped death in Port Harcourt Thursday evening, as PDP thugs fired gunshots at him.

    Amaechi, who was at the Government House, Port Harcourt Thursday morning for a crucial meeting with the caretaker chairmen of the 23 LGAs of the state and other stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is the Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

    The Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers governor, David Iyofor, said in a text message at 7:33 p.m. Thursday: “Gunshots fired at Governor Amaechi: This Thursday evening, gunshots were fired at the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in Rumuolumeni (Port Harcourt), Obio/Akpor LGA (of Rivers State) by PDP thugs. Obio/Akpor LGA is the home of PDP Rivers governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike (an indigene of Rumueprikom).

    “The thugs attacked the governor and his entourage with bottles, stones and various dangerous objects. Then, gunshots were fired at the governor.

    “For now, two APC supporters are confirmed injured and bloodied. When the governor was leaving the community, bonfire was set up on the road to prevent him from leaving. More gunshots were fired at his convoy. Governor Amaechi was on a door-to-door ward campaign in the state.”

    The Rivers police Spokesman, Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was contacted for his reaction through the telephone at 7:57 p.m., but said he was still trying to get the details.

    It will be recalled that Amaechi, while raising the alarm on President Jonathan’s desperation to assassinate him, emphatically stated that the arranged DSS operatives would shoot him in his Ubima hometown, in Ikwerre LGA of the state, but would not leave Nigeria, as advised and would cast his votes for all the candidates of the APC.

    The President’s wife, Dame Patience, an indigene of Okrika in Rivers state and Amaechi had been at loggerheads for many years and became worse with the governor’s defection from the PDP to the APC, thereby making it difficult for the President to get during Saturday’s presidential election, the over 2 million votes (highest in Nigeria) he got in Rivers state in 2011.

    The First Lady also wants Wike, a former Minister of State for Education to succeed Amaechi, not minding the fact that both the Rivers governor and the PDP’s governorship candidate are Ikwerre from the same Rivers East Senatorial District, with Amaechi preferring as his successor, Dr. Dakuku Peterside from coastal Opobo, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, in the Rivers Southeast Senatorial District.

  • At convocation, Amaechi, VC bid RSUST goodbye

    At convocation, Amaechi, VC bid RSUST goodbye

    The 27th Convocation of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt was unique in many ways.

    It was a valedictory for the institution’s visitor, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Barineme Fakae; the Governing Council headed by Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte (rtd), as well as the graduating students of the university.

    The governor will leave office on May 29 while the VC and members of the Governing council will complete their tenures in June.

    As is typical of valedictory sessions, most speakers on the convocation recalled how they ran the race that culminated to the parting of ways, paying tributes where necessary.

    Amaechi recalled the rot he met in RSUST in 2007, when he became governor, which prompted him to confront a man he respected, the former Pro-Chancellor, Prof Godwin Tasie, on the road within the university and told him, “You are hereby sacked.”

    The governor said that Fakae, who was the Rector of the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori, then reluctantly accepted the appointment to be the VC of the university.

    But today, he is happy and proud that he took that radical decision to appoint Fakae as VC because he had lived up to the expectation of the marching order he gave him to “rescue the university”.

    Amaechi revealed that though he was an indigent student, what radicalised him was that the University of Port Harcourt which he attended provided him with enough books and qualitative professors.

    He recalled that then the students would protest against injustice in the society and lack of amenities in the university.

    “At the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), we were out demonstrating against government.  Nobody will steal $10.8 billion and go free.  Nobody will steal $20 billion and go free.  Nigerian students will be found outside,” he said.

    He added: “Today, Nigerian students have convoys like governors, driving and telling you, ‘this is my PA (Personal Assistant); this is my SA (Special Assistant)”.

    The governor told the graduating students that if they appreciated the way the school had been turned around in these eight years, then on March 28, they should go out and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

    Fakae praised Amaechi for his  support to the university.

    He listed several records of “firsts” that the RSUST had achieved – the first state-owned university on the webometric ranking table for four years.

    The VC said that the university’s transformation encompassed the environment, academic content, academic programme and professional accreditations, aggressive use of ICT in learning and digitalisation of records as well as students and staff welfare.

    He added that it had also won national and international recognition.

    These, the VC pointed out, means that “the project of RSUST which came by your mandate is a mission accomplished, particularly now that the university has a direction.”

    He urged the workers not to allow the university “to fall back into ruins of academic corruption, strikes, cultism and environmental degradation.”

  • Amaechi neglected rural schools, says Wike

    Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Nyesom  Wike has accused Governor Rotimi Amaechi of abandoning schools in rural communities.

    Wike, who spoke in Isiokpo yesterday after visiting Model Secondary School, has denied over a million Rivers children access to quality education.

    He said the dilapidated nature of the school in Isiokpo, the home local government area of the governor, was disappointing.

    Wike said: “I cried as I moved round the classes of the Model Secondary School in Isiokpo. If Amaechi can do this to his people, you can imagine the damage he has done to education in Rivers State.

    “We shall take very proactive steps to address education in the rural communities of Rivers State. We shall develop a comprehensive boarding school system in the state to ensure that our children have access to proper education.

    This outgoing administration is built on deceit and lies. The APC is a party comfortable with falsehood. That is why Amaechi repeatedly takes Buhari and others to just one school in Port Harcourt, while the schools in rural areas have been destroyed due deliberate neglect.”

    He donated 5000 books to the school and promised that it would be among the first set of schools to be rehabilitated if he is elected.

    The PDP candidate also met with chiefs of Isiokpo town and also held campaign rallies for wards two and three in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

    Wike pledged to reconstruct the road leading to Isiokpo and provide water and facilities for the community.

    During a visit to Ward 18 in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike pledged to rehabilitate Diobu residential area. He assured the people of improved basic amenities.

     

     

     

     

  • Jonathan’s wife masterminding attack of APC members in Rivers – Amaechi

    Jonathan’s wife masterminding attack of APC members in Rivers – Amaechi

    The Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, is the person masterminding the attack and arrest of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, using the police to intimidate and harass innocent Rivers people.

    Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, insisted that the arrest of the Rivers APC members was led by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature.

    The Rivers governor stated these at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, while inaugurating two commissioners: Isobo Jack and Ode ThankGod, an engineer, as well as the reconstituted committee on Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Rivers Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Worgu Boms.

    Amaechi also charged the new commissioners to ensure effective service delivery.

    The NGF chairman said: “There are many offenders who were arrested for one crime or another and are now in prison custody. You are aware that some of the reasons for the increase in crime in our society is that there are no consequences. Unfortunately, we all belong to a society where the rich are not arrested. It is only the poor people that suffer arrest and prosecution. You are expected to use your good offices to parson those offenders who deserves the prerogative of mercy.

    “It is alarming that over 400 APC members (in Rivers State) have been arrested by the police. In Nigeria, criminals do not go to jail any longer. The arrest of the APC members was led by the state’s Commissioner of Police and that is why I said, the fight in Rivers State is between APC and the police. The wife of President Jonathan is the person masterminding the attack and arrest of APC members, using the police to intimidate and harass innocent people.”

    The Rivers governor also congratulated the new commissioners on their appointment, while asking them to ensure that the state’s urban development policy was improved upon.

    He said: “You are expected to assert law and order to regulate indiscriminate building of illegal structures and dumping of refuse in our environment.”

    Other members of the reconstituted committee on prerogative of mercy are W. S. Pepple, Dr. Jonah Hart, Ven. Jolly Ndubuisi, Chinemerem Wisdon Jerome, Mrs. Gloria Oyoophil Atako and Prof. Amakievi Gabriel.

    Amaechi also directed the members of the committee on prerogative of mercy to use their good offices to pardon deserving offenders.

    The chairman of the committee on prerogative of mercy, in his response, assured the Rivers governor that members of the committee would work within the ambits of the terms of reference given to them and ensure fairness.

  • Those who wish to hijack Rivers treasury’ll fail, says Amaechi

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has declared that those who wish to hijack the state’s treasury will fail.

    Amaechi spoke yesterday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, while signing into law the 2015 Appropriation Bill of N338 billion.

    The Rivers governor assured the people that his administration would continue to be purposeful in expending the state budget, stressing that his government had been frugal with the state’s funds.

    He said: “We will implement this budget until May 29. Nobody can say that we did not perform, from education to health, when people say our legacy is education, I laugh. The health centres that we have built all over the state are there as projects that will be remembered by all. The roads, if you remember when we took over, how narrow our roads were and how many roads we had in the state.”

    Amaechi said he could account for how funds were spent on various projects.

    The Rivers governor said: “Let me thank the House for the opportunity to sign one more budget before I depart from office. I am excitedly looking forward to departing from this office, because it is extremely tedious, but I must thank you that all efforts at breaking down the House and government were not successful.

    “You can see that my brother and friend in Ebonyi State is battling with the same people. The same people who do not obey laws are battling him in Ebonyi. They tried it in Adamawa State in the same illegal manner, they removed the governor. Here, they were not successful. Let me, on behalf of the Rivers people, my family, that is, my wife and children, thank all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

    Amaechi urged Rivers people to vote for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, and rescue the state from the hands of those he described as intending hijackers of the state’s treasury.

    He berated the Rivers governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nyesom Wike, and described him as unfit for governorship in Rivers State.

    Amaechi said: “I do not have mansions as they have. They have mansions, even behind the Government House (in Port Harcourt) and they are not ashamed. I have not done a contract, neither have I taken Rivers State government money and refused to execute the job. I have said here that Nyesom Wike has the contract to do the road project inside the stadium (Adokiye Amiesimaka). He has abandoned the contract. He has taken N3.5 billion and abandoned the job. He has not addressed that and then he is accusing us. That is, I am talking about abandoned contracts.

    “I have told Rivers people that the road from Eneka to Rukpokwu was done by Nyesom Wike. The road is completely in a state of disrepair. That same man is going to Rumuagholu and saying he will do road. He wants me to name the companies that he used to do the roads? The worst thing that can happen to a people is for the governor to be a contractor. The moment the governor is a contractor, then everything is finished. That means what you are seeing is an attempt to hijack the treasury of Rivers State and we would not allow that. Please go home and campaign for an APC government, go home and campaign for Buhari.”

    Prior to the presentation of the Appropriation Bill for the governor’s assent, the Leader of the House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, who represents Emohua, expressed the House’s appreciation for the amount allocated to capital and recurrent expenditures.

    Lloyd said the state’s  capital expenditure of N219 billion and recurrent expenditure of N119 billion appealed to the Assembly, which earlier passed the budget after closely studying it.

    Commissioner for Finance Dr. Chamberlain Peterside said the Amaechi administration would continue to pay salaries, pensions and conduct the business of government within the appropriation law.

  • ‘Amaechi’s sin was his inability to share money’

    ‘Amaechi’s sin was his inability to share money’

    Hon. Chidi Lloyd is a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. He was at the centre of the crisis that rocked the House. He was among the lawmakers who resisted the impeachment plot against Governor Amaechi. In this interview with Precious Dikewoha in Port Harcourt, the state capital, he says Amaechi’s ‘sin’ was his refusal to misuse public funds.

    What is your assessment of the campaign so far?

    It is unfortunate that many politicians are uneducated; that is the reason for the kind of campaign going on in our democracy. Instead of telling their supporters what they could do better than the other candidate, they would rather criticise their opponent, by engaging in name calling, destroying campaign billboards and so on. It is indeed condemnable. For instance, in the face of dwindling oil revenue, what aspect of measure do they want to activate.  Are you going to diversify the economy from the crude oil economy to an agro economy? How are you going to reduce unemployment rate? How are you going to ensure that people get into university and come out after four years? How are you going to ensure that ASUU wouldn’t go on strike again? How are you going to ensure the effectiveness of the cashless policy, so that those in Abuja would not be carrying cash about while restricting the ordinary man from carrying cash?  How are we going to ensure that we are going to manufacture vaccine that could take care of contagious diseases such as we saw in Ebola? What do we do to discourage people from going abroad for medical treatment? These are some of the things that we need to tell the people; rather than criticising opponents.

    What are the chances of the APC winning Rivers State?

    The Bible says power comes from God; you must also take cognizance of when we came onboard. We are just a year or less now, yet we have performed quite well. I will not want to bother myself with other happenings in other political parties.  The essence of every political party is to grab power. Normally, I expect the 25 other registered political parties to moving from place to place, telling the people what they would do and all that. But, for the APC, we are lucky because we have a governor that has done quite a lot; the governor that people believe in; the governor that the people love. Our free education system here is sine qua non; we have a governor who massively invested in scholarship, taking people’s sons and daughters abroad without minding whose children they are.  After Spiff’s government, this is the first democratic government that massively invested in infrastructural development since the creation of Rivers State. You know what Ada-George Road was like before now; you can go back and see that road today. This is a road that was in a bad shape. Today, nobody is talking about it. The people need to ask: Is this the same Ada-George that has a two-storey building right in the middle of the road and every part of it flooded? One thing a leader must have in abundance is courage. A leader must be able to offend those who do not want to do things correctly. This is a government that re-constructed Airport-Omarelu road,  Ubima-Omarelu road, Oginigba, YKC and Woji road etc.

    The PDP has been saying that the Amaechi Administration has done nothing…

    It is like that, my people say in parable that your enemy cannot see the good side of you. Since Electricity Distribution Company took over, they have been enjoying our investment in electricity without paying a kobo. Their children are in the model schools built by the same government they are criticising. Many youths are studying abroad, courtesy of the Rivers State scholarship scheme and their children are among the beneficiaries.  This is a government that has invested heavily on security, but today all that has broken down is because of those who don’t want the government to succeed. Kidnappers have come back again; there are all kinds of crimes being committed in the state. If our opponents come now and tell us that we have done well, then what do you expect them to say after that? So, I don’t expect them to say we have done well because the people would chase them away.  The issue of the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-led administration or leadership style is not that he hasn’t done well; it is because he decided not to share and has insisted that there is nothing to share. If you ask any of them today to tell you Amaechi’s sin, they will say he is stubborn and has refused to share.

    You want to return to the Rivers State House of Assembly for the fourth time. What have you done for the people of your constituency?

    What makes me different from others is that I have the fear of God; if government gives me money I try to reach the people. I have seen people entrusted with public fund, but they betray the trust of the people. But, those who betrayed the people’s trust don’t live happily because you can’t be happy as a rich man in the midst of hungry and angry people. I have attracted projects to my constituency in an unprecedented manner. The projects are there to see. I attracted one kilometre road with two kilometre drainage in Ubimini community. I completed the construction of Civic Centre in Omudioga. We are currently connecting Omudioga to gas-turbine and grid paid from my pocket. We have constructed a 1.7 kilometre road in Mgbuetor,  Emohua Local Government, with 1.4 kilometre drainage on all sides. We have given water to 12 communities in the constituency and also provided 12 generating sets to power the boreholes. We have built six classroom blocks; we have completed the construction of civic hall in Omuordu, Akpabu.  We have built a 20 unit one-bedroom apartment for corps members, the first of its kind in this nation. I was once a corper, I have served and I know the condition in which I served. We have also built and handed over a Catholic Church to the community; we have built auditorium for Assembly of God Church and we are going to do more.  In times of human capital development, it is not my nature to begin to mention the names of those I have assisted one way or the other. I do not have protocols because everybody is a potential achiever.

    That means you don’t close door against your people….

    One thing you must know is that people don’t always come for money, even if 80 per cent of those who want to see me ask for money. But, I have not heard that any politician was beaten up because he said “I don’t have”. Firstly, they will sit down with you in a good atmosphere, some will go home to say I was with that Honorable today and we shook hands. It is not always about money; sometimes when they request N10,000 if you have N2,000 you give. Look, those who are asking for money are not happy, because no man would be happy to ask another man for money.

    There was an allegation that, since the defection of Governor Amaechi to the APC, the House of Assembly, which you are the leader, has been under lock…..

    The lawyers say he who alleges must prove, the House of Assembly which I am a member and a leader is working.  The reason for the confusion you see in politics is because of illiteracy, what does the constitution say when a House of Assembly cannot sit where it is originally domicile. The constitution says by the resolution of a house, the leadership of the house and the governor shall designate another place that will be considered as a sitting venue.  And that the place so designated shall be gazetted and will become a sitting venue. So, the question should be have we done that? And the answer is yes.

  • Oyegun, Tinubu, Amaechi, Saraki under security watch

    Oyegun, Tinubu, Amaechi, Saraki under security watch

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders are being intimidated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government, the party alleged yesterday.

    Its proof – security agents have placed some of its leading lights on surveillance. Besides, their phones are bugged.

    But, said the party, it will never bow to intimidation. APC spokesman Alhaji Lai Mohammed said in a statement:

    “We will not be intimidated by the latest antics of the Jonathan Administration to harass and intimidate the opposition, especially in the run-up to next month’s general elections.”

    A security source last night declined comments on the matter “because the APC did not name the specific security organisation putting its leaders under watch”.

    The APC said: ‘’As the elections approach, we know the harassment and intimidation will be stepped up. We know our leaders, including the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, Senator Bukola Saraki and National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, are under surveillance and their phones being bugged.

    ‘’We are aware that several of them, especially the National Publicity Secretary, have been marked down for arrest in the days to come. We know there are evil plots to frame some of them on trumped-up charges. We know our lives are in danger. But these and more will not deter us from continuing to act in the national interest or from seeking to effect change through the ballot box.

    ‘’Yes, we are alerting Nigerians that if anything happens to us they should know where it is coming from, but for us there is no going back because we are resolute.’’

    Tinubu’s Lagos home has been under siege by soldiers for four days though the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major-Gen. Tunmi Dibi has said the military deployment is “routine” and part of a joint security measure to secure Lagos.

    The Imo State Government House in Owerri was also violated when a military armoured tank manned by some soldiers was deployed in front of it on Tuesday after security men prevented a group of women, led by Minister of State (Education) Prof. Violet Onwuliri, from marching on the facility.

    Also yesterday, policemen were deployed in the Abuja home of APC’s Presidential Campaign spokesman Garba Shehu – an action which the party said “fits perfectly into this emerging pattern”.

    In a statement issued in Abuja, the party said Shehu’s residence at the NNPC Quarters, Area 11, Abuja, had been surrounded by armed policemen since 3 a.m. on yesterday, making it impossible for him to even go to the mosque for prayers.

    ‘’Going after the spokesman of our party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation is aimed at muffling the organisation’s voice and abridging the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of the spokesman himself. This is antithetic to democracy and totally unacceptable,’’ it said.

    APC called on those who sent the armed security personnel to Shehu’s residence to immediately order their withdrawal and tell Nigerians what he has done to warrant such harassment.

    The party said “coming after the siege by armed troops to Tinubu’s home in Lagos and a similar siege to the Imo State Government House in Owerri, it was clear that the Jonathan Administration has finally launched its much-anticipated clampdown on the opposition ahead of the general elections.

    The elections are slated for March 28 and April 11.

    ‘’The PDP and the Jonathan Administration are bent on badgering the opposition through the harassment, intimidation and arrest of its leaders as well as the circulation of unfounded rumours against the party. These actions are all aimed at fomenting a crisis and scuttling the forthcoming elections,” APC said, adding:

    ‘’We are, therefore, calling on all Nigerians as well as the international community to take note of this growing pattern of harassment and intimidation of the opposition, and the effect such action will have on the conduct of the elections,’’ it said.

    APC thanked Nigerians for their immense and unwaring support, especially since the postponement of the elections which was aimed at dampening the enthusiasm of the citizens, and urged them not to relent.

    The presidential and assembly elections will were slated for tomorrow and the governorship elections February 28.

    ‘’We are glad that instead of weakening the resolve and enthusiasm of Nigerians, the Presidency-orchestated postponement has further galvanised them to be more determined not only to vote but also to defend their votes,” APC said, adding:

    ‘’Nigerians must demand and insist that the elections be held as rescheduled, that there will be no interim government or tenure elongation. Nigerians have the power to forge change with their voter’s cards and no one must deny them that right.’’

    The APC urged President Jonathan to remember the verdict of history and put his dogs of war on a leash, realising that history will judge no one but him even for the actions of his supporters, who are all acting in his name.