Speaking exclusively to Saturday Vanguard, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor David Jonah Jang, Mr. James Manu said that the Governor reconciles the parties in the Forum. He said: “Well, you need to appreciate it, first and foremost, from the background that he never looked for it.
It was the dynamics of the unfolding situation that threw him up as a candidate, which you were very much aware starting from the Northern Governors’ Forum and was endorsed by the PDP platform.
He is a person that believes that there are times you need to take up certain challenges when they beckon at you and you see it face-to-face. And one thing is clear; Governor Jang is not a man that is afraid of challenges. And of course, for the respect for his colleagues who saw something in him and trusted him, he accepted the challenge because he strongly believes in the platform. If it means offering himself as a rallying point for the platform, why not.
There were two candidates down and so, he was picked to serve as a consensus candidate out of the two others. So, you can see the scenarios that came. It was not like he offered himself. It was the same meeting that decided that since the two people were there, lets come out with somebody that will be a consensus candidate.
Will he seek reconciliation of factions?
“Top on his bill is reconciliation and he has said it that he is ready to work with everybody. He believes that whatever is happening is a family matter and it is not beyond them as governors to settle and he has stated his resolve and commitment to go all out to make sure that he brings the Forum together, brings up unity and integrity and true bonding.
Setting up a new secretariat
“I don’t know what you are saying in terms of factions. One thing they have said in their inaugural meeting was that they were going to establish a secretariat. And if I may ask, do you know where Nigeria Governors Secretariat is? I would rather you see it in the sense that Governor Jang in his leadership qualities has seen the need to have an independent secretariat for every Governor to have a home.”
Amaechi’s Suspension by the PDP
Amaechi’s problems were far from being over even after the NGF election. As if the Presidency and the ruling PDP had many scenes in the drama, barely two days after the election, PDP suspended Governor
Amaechi. The reason for his suspension was hinged on his failure to reinstate the executive of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council.
In quick succession, the party announced the inauguration of 11- member Committee headed by Chief Joe Gadzama (SAN), to probe Amaechi. Hear the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Oliseh Metu over the suspension: “The National Working Committee at its emergency meeting on Monday, May 27, 2013 considered the petition submitted by the PDP Rivers Executive Committee against His Excellency, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for violating Articles 58 1 (b), (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP Constitution following his refusal to obey the lawful directive of the Rivers State Executive Committee to rescind his decision dissolving the elected Executive Council of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“The National Working Committee after preliminary hearing, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 59 (3), 59 (5) and 29 (2.b), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a member of the PDP and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the party.
“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the party to enforce discipline at all levels within the party.”
Amaechi’s reaction to his re-election and suspension from the PDP
In a confab with the youth of Rivers State on Monday on a theme “Consolidating on Rivers of our Dreams” which took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt, Amaechi said by God’s Grace, he will pull through all the hurdles.
“The way these people at the federal level are desperate, they may come after my life. So when you pray, remember to pray for me to remain alive.Who has power to suspend Obio/Akpor council? Now you see political witch-hunting; it is so ridiculous, my party must rise above political witch-hunting. The Governor did not suspend Obio/Akpor council, I hope you know.
My power is to dissolve and remit it to the House of Assembly, but I have not done that yet, what the Assembly has said is ‘we are investigating corruption’ then the party says we should not investigate corruption, is that fair? I was not invited by the National Working Committee of PDP; I was not given fair hearing.
“What I heard was, ‘why did I refuse to reinstate the suspended Obio/Akpor Council executive? Who suspended them?’ His question received the enthusiastic response of the youths who chorused: “The Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Again the governor asked, ‘who has the power to investigate Obio/Akpor council executive?”. The youths again replied: “The State Assembly.”
“If they are not guilty, then, they will re-instate them, but if they are guilty, then we will ask for the dissolution of the council. We have not even gone half, and the party (PDP) says re-instate them. It means that the party likes corruption. Let the Assembly resume and commence investigation, let’s see what goes on. Whether there is corruption or not, it is the business of the Assembly.
I have been a Speaker, and I know the powers of a Speaker and the legislature. I used it when I was a Speaker. “What is the police still doing at the Obio/Akpor Council building? The court gave an order to the Police to vacate Obio/Akpor Council, they disobeyed, and the police are still stationed there.
The Federal Government does not care, they only stationed police at Obio/Akpor council, even if everybody dies, they don’t care. Now, the whole state will be grounded, because the police have refused to vacate the Obio/Akpor Council Secretariat.
“They don’t want to know, we are not important to the federal government, we are not important at all. “You know what it took for us to stop militancy in the state. But only last week, they now organized militants to return to the streets of Port Harcourt, is that not shameful? You all know how the militants spent our money, raped our women, killed our parents and young men. Immediately the militants stopped protesting, the police said, nobody should protest again.
“Internal democracy is important in our party, they fought me with everything, and I still won the Nigeria Governors’ Forum election, what should they do?
They should have joined me to thank God. Because what it means is that God has spoken. It happened when I was in Ghana, I fasted and prayed for six months, 6am to 6pm, and God made me Governor. “I will not leave the PDP. I will go to court.”
Vanguard
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