Rivers State Governor Mr. Rotimi Amaechi was in his element yesterday
as he received the visiting All
Progressive Congress (APC) leadership that came to woo him to join the
party's crusade for a better
Nigeria. Leading the crowd in singing gospel songs and dancing,
Amaechi said he would decide where to go after
wide consultations. Amid cheers by the people, he said he would
consult his arch political foe, President Goodluck Jonathan,
among others, before deciding to join APC. Addressing the crowd, which
joined him in receiving the APC leaders in Government House, Port
Harcourt,
Amaechi said: "I will consult the president. I will. He is from our
zone. I will consult all the consultables." He said after the
consultations, he would come back to the people because they are
important. He said the day he decides to join APC, he would ask the
president to come and address Rivers people at
the Olympic- sized 40,000 capacity stadium he is building at the
Greater Port Harcourt City. Amaechi, who has been having a running
battle with the state's Commissioner of Police, Mr Mbu Joseph
Mbu, urged the youths to be prepared to rise up against police
impunity by using "peoples' power". He said he was impressed with the
way the youths dared the police at the Port Harcourt Airport junction
when they were barred from going into the place to receive the
visiting APC leaders. Amaechi invited those who accused him of
collecting N1.9trillion in federal allocation without nothing to
show for it to a public debate, promising to show them the projects he
has so far executed. An APC leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, described
Amaechi as "a bridge builder." Buhari praised Amaechi for the projects
he has so far executed, especially in education, saying:
"Education is the greatest thing a good leader can give to his
people". He said 2015 would be a watershed because there would be a
lot of work for people to do in this country
then. Another APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said they were in the
state to urge the people to ask Amaechi to
lead them to the party. Tinubu also praised the leadership qualities
of Amaechi as a former Speaker and leader of the Nigerian
Conference of Speakers, describing him as a progressive. The country,
he said, could not develop on the altar of intimidation, harassment
and lies, pointing out that
Amaechi is focused and would not have been elected governor without
the peoples' support. Amaechi, he said, was being persecuted because
he was fighting for the assets, toils, oil lands, and
revenue of Rivers, adding: "A man who stands to be cheated is not a
man, he is a pig." Tinubu said the APC leaders were impressed with the
way Amaechi had been transforming the state,
especially in education, pointing out that they had been taken round
to see some of the projects the
governor has executed. Amaechi, he said, had given Rivers children
"the greatest weapon against poverty, education; given our
women pre-natal and ante natal care at the rural level before the
world; transforming and renewing our
infrastructure in an aggressive and radical manner. "We have seen Port
Harcourt emerge as the bed of flowers, the Garden City again. Just a
drive through,
we have seen the emancipation of the people. We thank you for the
support." APC Interim National Vice Chairman, Southsouth Chief Tom
Ikimi said he had known Amaechi for 25
years as one who stands on his belief. Ikimi said APC's registration
caused a stir at the national level because it offered the people an
alternative
platform to pursue their ambition, adding: "Since we now have an
alternative platform, there is nothing they
can do to you." APC Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande said
the party's visit had debunked the notion that
Amaechi has no followers, seeing the "mammoth crowd that came to
receive us." Describing Amaechi as "a leader", Akande said: "We will
not go home without asking you to ask him to join
APC because it is the party for the courageous." Lawmakers from the
state, represented by Senator Magnus Abe, Hon Andrew Uchendu of the
House of
Representatives and Speaker of the House of Assembly Rt. Hon.
Otelemaba Dan-Amachree urged
Amaechi to begin talks with the APC leaders, promising to follow him
any where he goes because they
trust him. The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON)
made up of the 23 local government chairmen
in the state, represented by Hon. Oji Ngofa of Eleme Local Government
Area, also assured Amaechi of
their support. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National
Chairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja, praised the people for
coming out in large numbers to welcome the APC leaders.
--
Faith Olaniran
Mobile lines: +234-8062723258, +234-8074695684,
www.faitholaniran.blogspot.com
Twitter:@olaniranfaith
facebook:Faith Oluwalose Olaniran
A Seeker of the Unknown to man but Known to God.
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