HOLD PRESIDENCY IF ANY HARM BEFALLS AMAECHI, SAYS RIVERS’ FORUM

The Rivers’ Peoples Forum (RPF) has stated that the Presidency should be held responsible, if any harm befalls Governor Rotimi Amaechi.The group, a leading socio-political organisation of all Rivers people, both at home and in the Diaspora, also declared that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was behind the many political travails of Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
RPF, through its president, Charles Bekwele, yesterday in Port Harcourt, after an executive meeting, strongly condemned Thursday evening’s police blockade of the Forces Avenue, the road leading to the Government House, with the governor’s convoy forced to take a longer route.

The forum described the blockade as one attack too many on the person and office of the governor of Rivers state.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the claims saying the allegation was supported by a concocted video footage on the internet was a calculated ploy to further smear the name of the Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu whom he (Amaechi) has continued to demand his removal from the state.
The party, in a statement by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on media to the State Chairman Felix Obuah, explained that Amaechi “in his usual characteristic only intended to win public sympathy as there was no reason for his choice of that route at the period when there are several access roads, some of which are direct and smoother leading to the Government House.”

But RPF said it was shameful and a big insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians, the reaction of the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the PDP on the intimidation and embarrassment of the Rivers governor by the Mbu-led police.
The forum stated that: “This current attack on the office and person of the Governor of Rivers State is one attack too many. They have grounded the official plane of the Rivers State Government. 

They have withdrawn some of Amaechi’s security aides, thereby exposing the governor to harm and danger. All these are being orchestrated by certain interests within the Presidency. The Presidency has been consistent in its harassment, intimidation and attack.”
It claimed that all these were being done because of 2015 adding, “They (Presidency) believe Amaechi will not support President Jonathan’s 2015 election. The Presidency must stop using the apparatus of state to harass, intimidate and attack an elected governor.” It called on Nigerians and the international community to be alert, adding, “if any harm befalls Governor Amaechi, the Presidency should be held responsible.”
It wondered how the country’s fund was being used to hound an elected official. 

It observed that, “It is totally irresponsible, repressive, undemocratic, tyrannical and condemnable. We are not in a military dictatorship, a jackboot regime. It is against the tenets and principles of our constitution. These interests in the Presidency must be told in clear terms that the country does not belong to the Presidency, but to all of us in the federation. The Presidency must stop using the police, the aviation ministry and any other institution or agency of state to harass and attack Amaechi.”
The Forum said if the Presidency had any disagreement with the governor, it should be resolved politically rather than dragging the institutions of state into political disagreements within the party.

Source; The Nation Newspapers.