Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the minister of transportation, has said that the senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district at the national assembly, Magnus Abe, fell ill when he was not made the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in 2015.
Amaechi during an interaction with newsmen in his house while reacting to the state broadcast by Governor Nyesom Wike where Wike accused the minister of planning violence, said that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is helping the governor against the All Progressives Congress in the state due to the relationship Wike cultivated with the INEC Boss when he was minister.
According to Amaechi: “Anyone who knows me, know I don’t like violence. I always believe that you can replace houses and other properties when you destroy, but when you kill you can’t replace life.
“APC just lost 17 persons, not again. I was touring people’s houses, identifying with their pains. If Wike was aware when the President came to the state and we lost Nigerians in Rivers state and he’s still campaigning. How could it be? Why is Wike using Magnus Abe to avoid elections?
“It is not over until it is over. We are going out Saturday to vote Buhari. If INEC decides to obey the stay of execution, we are ready to vote on Saturday. If INEC Chairman is working for PDP and will not obey the order because he was Director of TETFUND under Wike’s ministry when he was minister, so be it.
“We will continue to pursue the right of the people to chose who their leader would be. You can’t force leaders on the people”
“In my government, how many persons were killed? You were free to go out at night. I drove out one car at night and came home safe. Now nobody can go out. Now as minister I can’t drive without loads of policemen, soldiers and he’s happy to be a governor in that kind of state. As a minister, no governor can threaten me. Wike has the executive powers to stop a minister, so he should stop me is he feels threatened.
“Wike asked that I be arrested when he was minister. And the Brigade Commander actually came after me during the elections. Nobody has been arrested till now. In 2015, all APC leaders were in detention. The party agent of the President, Emma Deya, just came out of INEC office to buy something to eat and they took him away. We thought he was kidnapped. It was only when he was brought out the day after election that we knew it was police who took him. Let Wike say if anybody has been arrested since we came in.
“It shows the government of President Buhari understands what rule of law is, not the rule of man. So tell Wike that I am enjoying his fear. He’s scared. I have governed this state before. What is happening now is not up to one third of what happened to me. I bore it, never opened my mouth.
“There is a difference between boys and men. I never opened my mouth to abuse Goodluck, to threaten or tell the world, oh Goodluck is facing me with violence, they are arresting my people. I never did. Then, when I call for Security Council Meeting, nobody will attend. The then Director of SSS, will come on face cap at 12 midnight with a taxi to disguise, just to brief me about security of the state.
“Now the Director of SSS walks into his office, the commissioner walks into his office, Brigade Commander, GOC walk to him. Why has he stopped complaining about these people? Because they are with him, briefing him. As Rivers Governor, Mrs Goodluck Jonathan superintended over the security Council in her house. I was governor and a married woman, not a staff of government was superintending over security. Now the governor of the state superintends over security council, so what is he looking for other than to accuse the APC in Rivers?
“We reassure Nigerians and the governor to come out and vote people they want. We expect the police, army to provide the necessary security. We will not allow Wike repeat what he’s been doing. When we were fighting criminals in the state, I use to drive out with the Brigade Commander. We slept 5 am and woke up 9 am to go work, but Wike sleeps at night. The campaign at that time was you can sleep with your two eyes closed, while we open our eyes.
“Those we sent on the scholarship he brought back, saying they are not Rivers people. Business has collapsed in Rivers. That is why crime rate is high. People are moving back to Lagos. NLNG must be regretting now because we assured them of security, reason they agreed to move their headquarters here. Now their headquarters is here, they are not safe as we promised them.
“I joined politics in 1987. Let one politician chest-out to say there was a meeting I attended in which we hired thugs. I believe the formal security is enough to protect lives and property.
“Wike has been negotiating with APC that he will help us deliver presidential votes, we should help him deliver governorship. I said to our people, when they became very worried, that I won’t even talk about it. How would they implement it? If Wike is powerful enough got deliver Presidential, he should be powerful enough to deliver himself. If Wike is negotiating to help us deliver presidential and then we help him deliver governorship, just imagine that kind of negotiation.
“If we have power to deliver governorship, shouldn’t we have same power to deliver presidential? If Wike has power to deliver presidential, shouldn’t he also have power to deliver governorship? I asked them, what are they afraid of? We talk about betrayal.
“Wike, first, second terms as Chairman of Council, Dr. Odili didn’t support his coming back. Ask him. I went on campaigns in the villages in Obia Akpor to return him as chairman of Council. When I became governor, I made him Chief Of Staff. When they asked me as Chairman, Governors Forum to nominate a second minister, I nominated him.
“As soon as he got his hands on Mrs Goodluck Jonathan, he sold us out. Once they get a pot of porridge, they start making noise. So, I have not personal quarrel. It’s about power. The justice of the politics of Rivers today is that power should go to Riverine. You can’t, because you have the population, deny the others.
“But then, if he were so popular, why go to court? Why not allow people to vote, since you say you are an Ikwerre man?
To address Magnus Abe, as a betrayer, this was somebody that followed me all the days in his life. I made him the Minority Leader of the House. From there I made him Commissioner for Information, got him to SSG, got him to Senate. Tell me, who is the betrayer?
“I said 80% of Rivers politicians who have held positions in recent times, passed through me. Magnus is among them. Magnus makes me laugh on his desperation. I was in a meeting with Magnus and Wike when they asked me if Dr. Odili stops us from being governor, what will happen? I said I will give up. Wike said no, we will die, we have the support. I said no, that would be a betrayal of goodwill.
“If you come forward and say Amaechi you won’t run, I won’t run, but Magnus is desperate. Magnus fell ill when we chose Dakuku Peterside. Ask him if he didn’t. When I wasn’t chosen, I never fell ill. I went to Dr. Odili to say I want to leave the country. He said I should leave and I left very hale and hearty. I came back a strong man, but Magnus fell ill the day we said, you are not the candidate, but Peterside.
“If Magnus says he’s not a betrayer, take the case of NDDC. He came to me, sobbing that Ogoni people have not had any position in NDDC. I said Magnus, Okay, we give you the nomination from Rivers. As soon as he got it, he grew convoy, declaring he wants to run for Governor. So, who is a betrayer.
“I want to sleep knowing I am an honest man. If Magnus is not ashamed of himself, let me be ashamed on his behalf. My son will worry if they hear their father is slippery”
