“You must start mobilising now. You have not shown enough anger. You must show enough anger to chase him out of power. Show enough anger, such that if anybody warns you, you should chase the person out of Opobo.”
~Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation calling for violence in Opobo.
I hope Amaechi knows that no single individual has the monopoly of violence. Be that as it may, however, Opobo remains peace loving but let’s see how this pans out.
That visit by Amaechi is the second time he’s showing disrespect to Opobo, our foundation and our history, the first being his visit to Opobo with dogs as a sitting Governor. But let me assure him that there will always be a payback day.
Why does Amaechi expect a transfer of aggression from people he has abandoned, people whose calls he doesn’t pick, people who have lost hope because of unfulfilled promises made to them by their leaders who now reside outside Rivers State. These are People who should have been working at the PH and Onne Seaports if Amaechi didn’t shut them down. Is it not laughable that he wants this same people to be violent?
Amaechi should show enough anger to help in the completion of the monorail project that was ill conceived and give Rivers people a functional airport as Minister of Transportation.
Amaechi ought to show enough anger in bringing a rail line to Opobo and improve our marine transportation system. Anger must be expressed in the drive for development not in arming the youths with clubs and guns. Show anger at the PH and Onne Seaports to create jobs for our people.
Nyesom Ezenwo Wike showed enough anger when he showed commitment in the completion of the Unity Road to enable Opobo people drive home, today we drive to Opobo II and shortly we shall drive into Opuama; that’s positive anger. Anger is giving Opobo a functional General Hospital and Nkoro pipe borne water. Anger is Gov. Wike’s directive to give Opobo and Nkoro people befitting schools which were abandoned over the years. Enough anger is Gov Wike’s assurance to reclaim our community lands which are being threatened by erosion. For me, that is real anger.
Real anger is what propelled Gov. Wike to Amaechi’s Ubima, his village, to reconstruct and rehabilitate the Ubima Community Secondary School and their General Hospital. It was Wike’s projects in Ubima that chased Amaechi out of Ubima not violence. Opobo people are wiser and we know what we want.
For the records, should Amaechi have lost touch with his history books, Opobo Kingdom is the home of the legendary King Jaja. Our Kings and Alapu ( Chiefs ) are brave, bold and courageous. Opobo people are not cowards, we are fearless but above all, we love peace. Therefore, there’s no amount of irresponsibility and unguarded statement that will pitch Opobo against the good people of Ikwerre land. Every land has a bad child.
Our people must learn to respect our Monarchs and traditional institutions. Amaechi must tender an unreserved apologies to Opobo people and without further delay.
