Rivers State Government, on Sunday, advised Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the Minister of Transport to stay away from Port Harcourt if he feels that the State is not safe.
The state government through the commissioner for information and communication, Emma Okah, was reacting to a statement credited to the Minister during a thanksgiving Church service in honour of the APC gubernatorial candidate Tonye Cole on Sunday in Port Harcourt where the minister was quoted to have said that Rivers State is unsafe.
The state government in a statement made available to theportcitynews said Amaechi should show his anger by hosting his party activities, Church programmes, birthday parties etc outside the State since he says Rivers State is unsafe.
“Normal people cannot take Amaechi serious any more because he lives in bitterness. Evidence abound to show that the Rivers State Government and the security agencies are doing their best to secure lives and property in Rivers State and only a deluded or mischievous mind denies this fact” Okah said
Okah, while condemning the statement made by the minister said that in normal climes, a former governor and a serving Minister qualifies to be a statesman but the case of Amaechi is a harvest of shame as he maliciously discredits everything the Rivers State Government is doing to develop the State and provide security for the people.
The Statement read in part: “Amaechi needs to know that any failure of security under our democracy where the Governor has played his role is an indictment on the Nigeria Police and the security agencies who are under the control of the Federal Government and Amaechi should ask the heads of security agencies he posts to the State why there are lapses if any”
Okah noted that Rivers State Government will not join the minister in the journey to perdition by condemning the hard working security agencies.
“Instead of Amaechi to empathise with those who sadly, lost their loved ones, he was spitting on the graves of the deceased and mocking them because he knows he is seeking political mileage with the blood of the innocent and has not supported the State to fight crime since he became a Minister.
Rather than allow security agencies to do their work unhindered, Amaechi has continued to politicise the security architecture to achieve only political ends since his stooge lost the guber elections in 2015.
“He must explain to Nigerians why security challenges still exist in all states in the Country. Are those Governors also not doing enough or should that also not be the reason they and the President should lose elections? Okah asked, noting that even the APC led Federal Government has not been able to address all security challenges in Nigeria despite their superior war chest, resources and imprimatur.
On the issue of people leaving the State, Okah said Rivers State is the leading investment destination in Nigeria and dismissed Amaechi as blowing hot air, talking without facts and statistics.
“Amaechi should explain why over 12 million Nigerians lost their jobs since 2015. Is he also alerting Nigerians that his boss is inefficient as President? Okah asked!