Former Petroleum Minister Tam David-West is opposed to a sovereign national conference, contrary to a report on page 5 of The Nation yesterday.
“I have opposed sovereign national conference for over 10 years in all my writings and interviews,” Prof. David-West said.
Former Petroleum Minister, Prof. Tam David-West, says the only reason Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State is being assailed by some political forces is his refusal to be anybody’s ‘Yes man’.
Prof. David-West, speaking on a radio programme in Port Harcourt, also asked President Goodluck Jonathan to be wary of the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark and leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF). He said neither of them is capable of making him win the 2015 election.
He showered praises on General Muhammadu Buhari, who he said towers over and above President Jonathan in terms of achievement as Nigeria’s leader.
Amaechi, according to him, has had to fight alleged injustice of ceding oil wells belonging to Rivers State in the Kalabari axis to President Jonathan’s Bayelsa State.
This, he said has not gone down well with some people.
He added: “I am not a politician. No amount of money in the world can make me to change my mind. I support causes, not persons. What has Amaechi done wrong? He has not done anything wrong. Professional praise singers are making millions of naira through the crisis.
“Those who said Amaechi has received N2.4 trillion since he became Rivers governor, without commensurate projects on the ground, are talking rubbish. The Kalabari people fighting Amaechi are not serious. They are not more Kalabari than me. Amaechi has not disappointed Kalabari people.”
Asked to assess President Jonathan’s achievements, he said: “I am an unapologetic critic of President Jonathan. I do not support you because you are an Ijaw person, from the South South zone or a Niger Deltan. I support performers. Twenty four per cent of Jonathan’s votes came from the South South.
“It is completely illogical to say Jonathan must be re-elected in 2015, because he is a South South man. Jonathan is not a South South President, but the President of Nigeria.
“Clark, Dokubo-Asari and others cannot save Jonathan in 2015. In an interview in a national newspaper on June 15, 2012, Dokubo-Asari declared that Jonathan would not go beyond 2015 as President. Why is he speaking from both sides of his mouth?
“You cannot compare one hundred Jonathans to one Buhari. I will always give my support to Buhari. He is the finest man I have ever known. Negative things that they say about him are not factual. I will continue to work for Buhari.
“Corruption is the bane of Nigeria. Buhari is against corruption. Buhari is not corrupt. He is very clean and disciplined. Election rigging is worse than armed robbery. Buhari wants free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.”
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Prof. Tam David-West yesterday berated the Federal Government for hailing the decision of the United States of America (USA) to place $7 million reward on the suspected Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and others.
The university don, who spoke to our reporter on the telephone in Ibadan, said the joy over the bounty was an admission of the government’s failure to protect the citizens and ensure their welfare as enshrined in the Constitution.
The U.S. on Monday said it would give anybody, who could offer useful information on how to track down the leaders of the groups allegedly spreading terrorism in West Africa, $23 million.
Presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati was quoted by the media as describing the action as a welcome development.
“We welcome any effort by the international community to support Nigeria’s effort at waging a war against terrorism and its perpetrators. What this proves is that terrorism is a global phenomenon that requires global effort at combating. Nigeria believes that the international community needs to come together to combat terrorism,” Abati said.
But David-West faulted the government’s position, saying: “Much as I will appreciate the concern of the US government and other world powers for their thinking on the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, I am shocked to my marrow that the Federal Government welcomed the bounty.
“I am shocked because the Federal Government does not realise the implication of this gesture by the US government on the integrity of Nigeria.
“I am ashamed because a foreign government is putting a bounty on a Nigerian, who is aberrant because of his activities. Whether he is a terrorist or not, he is a Nigerian. So, there is nothing to jubilate about. We can’t deny him his right of citizenship.
“While we condemn their acts of terrorism in the country and give them the necessary punishment, we should also protect their rights as Nigerians. Putting a bounty on them by a foreign country should not bring joy to the Federal Government. They should be ashamed of themselves.
“The Constitution has security and welfare as one of its fundamental provisions. The Federal Government has failed to provide these.”
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Prof. Tam David-West yesterday decried the political victimisation of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, saying the governor’s opponents would fail.
The don, who spoke in Ibadan yesterday, described Amaechi’s “orchestrated travails” as unfortunate in view of the fact that the governor has worked to restore the glory of Port-Harcourt.
David-West described Amaechi’s travails as “Nigerian paradox” where he said excellence is relegated and mediocrity is elevated.
He said: “The ongoing orchestrated political travail of Amaechi is most unfortunate.
“I’m particularly worried about the trend, not only because I am a Rivers State elder, not only because I am a strong supporter of Amaechi without any regret, I am also worried as a Nigerian because what is happening to Amaechi underscores a terrible Nigerian paradox, which I call the paradox of excellence.
“In Nigeria, excellence is always degraded and mediocrity is elevated. No nation in the world can succeed without excellence. Amaechi is excellent. “We support him because those of us who grew up in Port Harcourt as a famous “Garden City” knew how the city changed to a rotten city. And Amaechi, who is also a Port Harcourt boy, changed the city back to its glorious “Garden City” status. Any person that does not realise this is not only blind but terrible.”
But he reminded Amaechi’s opponents that the governor would laugh last because his first name, Chibuike means “God is strength.”
“God is Amaechi’s strength,” he said.