The Presidency on Thursday defended
the prevention of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State from
exchanging pleasantries with President Goodluck Jonathan by a security
operative during dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
It said the incident was purely a security issue that should not be politicised,especially by opposition political parties.
The governor, who was sitting two
tables away from the President, had risen to greet him but the
security operative attached to the President stopped him halfway.
In order not to create a scene at the
event that had nearly all his colleagues and two heads of government
(Joyce Banda of Malawi and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia) in
attendance, Amaechi quietly returned to his seat and waited for about
five minutes before leaving the venue.
But as the Action Congress of Nigeria
and Congress for Progressive Change berated Jonathan over the
incident, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters,
Dr. Ahmed Gulak, said it was tantamount to a breach of protocol and
security if Amaechi was allowed access to his boss who was already
seated before the governor arrived.
Gulak said, “The President has a good
relationship with all state governors and he meets with them regularly.
The case in point is a pure security issue and it should be treated as
a security issue that should not be politicised.
“The question the ACN and others who
may want to politicise this issue need to ask is whether the President
arrived at the venue of the dinner and was already seated before the
governor arrived.
“Usual practice across the world is
that once the President arrives a place, nobody whether a governor or
not, is allowed entrance. That is the protocol. Even(Barack) Obama of
the United States cannot be on his seat and a governor will be allowed
to come in.
“If that was the situation in this case
that the President was already on his seat, it would have been a
breach of protocol and security for any security person to allow the
governor access to the President. Such a security person would have
been sanctioned if he had done that.”
Wondering why the ACN was interested
in the matter, the presidential aide advised the opposition political
parties to “concentrate on issues concerning them and stop
politicising everything.”
The ACN had in a statement by its
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, condemned the action
of the operative and called on Jonathan to order an immediate probe
into it.
It said, “We are making this call
because we do not believe that, in spite of the reported frosty
relations between the two, President Jonathan – as the father of the
nation – will lend the weight of his high office to such a demeaning
action as exhibited by the presidential security personnel.
“To believe that anyone occupying the
esteemed office of the President of one of Africa’s most important
nations will be a party to a situation in which any security aide will
wilfully fence a state chief executive from paying his respect to the
President at such an open gathering will be to think the worst of the
occupier of that office. That is why we have chosen not to believe that
this indeed occurred, and why we are calling on Mr. President to tell
Nigerians that ‘it ain’t so’ “We shudder to think of what efforts are
being made – including the use of national institutions – to undermine
Gov. Amaechi if the treatment reportedly meted out to him at the dinner
has the approval of the powers that be. We are even more worried at
what will happen to a governor from the opposition who falls out of
favour with the President, if a governor from the same party as the
President can be so publicly humiliated.”
ACN said it was particularly incumbent
on the President to clarify the report because Amaechi, the authentic
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, extended an olive branch to
him by attending the dinner, despite the fact that he (President) was
publicly supporting the losing faction of the NGF, in what was being
seen as a “democratic faux pas.”
The party said the President must learn
to separate politics from governance by rising above petty partisanship
as he steered the affairs of state.
On its part, the Congress for
Progressive Change said it was clear to many discerning minds that
“the government of President Jonathan is being run like a mafia
organisation where you have the head at the Villa.”
“This is the kind of price we pay when
we sacrifice competence on the altar of exigency,” the CPC said
through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin.
The party added, “We have always said it that the way President Jonathan is running this country; he will run it aground.
“No Nigerian can be proud of what is
happening in a situation where nations of the world are improving their
democratic credentials; we are going towards further isolation.
“A situation where a chief executive
is being blocked by security apparatus of the President, you ask
yourself what hope mortals like us have under the Jonathan government.”
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You are a MUMU YORUBA TOUT..... Stop exposing the fact that you don't understand basic protocol! @ Immediately the President comes in, the ceremony starts./ If the President is seated, no one comes in." You dont need a brain to understand this. Amaechi must have kicked himself for being so short-sighted. In some countries he will resign!
ReplyDeleteYou Mumu Pass, This suppose to be an open gathering. Amaechi is just proving to be more Democratic $ Diplomatic than either of the Pre. And Jang and even Tukur if He's postponed the meeting he called to be embarrassed by ordinary security operative in an open gathering
DeleteThis is an international protocol practice aand must be respected no matter your exalted position. We shouldn't be triviial and respect the position of the President of Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteƔεαђ is true not only to the president even him d so called amechi wen seated in an ocassion in his state no body dear's to come so why sondenly thise an issue?
ReplyDelete...but all the same, its an open gathering....I remember the case of the Launching of Dr Dora Akuyili's book, a governor came in late and was allowed to see and pay respect to the same GEJ....one warning for GEJ, get the support of all the south-south govs towards 2015 or you will loose gallantly. As it is, GEJ is not sure of winning Rivers, DElta (He's the one that threw Ibori into jail and Uduaghan will NOT support him) and EDO, leaving him with Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and cross river states. The East will be share between him and the opposition and of course, nothing for him in the south west, while the North will definitely go for their own, so 2015 is already complicated for GEJ whether Asari and the likes knows it or not....If PDP allows a vibrant Governor like Amaechi to go with OBJ camp, then, GEJ should be ready to go to Bayelsa. Threat of war? nothing will happen!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour analysis is good on paper but cannot be realistic. This is Nigeria and we understand and play politics better when d chips are down. With or without Amaechi, GEJ will win south south if he contest in 2015. We are our brother's keeper, one 'Judas'(Amaechi) cannot stop GEJ.
DeleteWhat has d so called "protocol" got to do with going to pay respect to a boss? Dis is all bullshit! Both d presidency n Amechi's actions will n must be viewed from a political angle by most people who follow....n in most cases Amechi will take d 1ups....
ReplyDeleteThe west and north will push Amechi into a very big fire that will take his political life. After 2015 Amechi will be like Atiku.
ReplyDeletethis boy called amaechi wot has becom of him. Bcos this is nigeria. Can he do it outside nigeria. Ur boss is seated addressing a gathering, u came late and want to exchange plessantry wit him, i tink this guy needs a psycahiatrist. If is him wil he allow such rubbish. Outside politics common courtesy demands u respect ur. Wen did Gej and amaechi bcom 5/6 dat serious issues lyk dis shud b negelected. Pls MR stp foolin ursef.
ReplyDeleteIt can only be the opposition that can issue a statement condemning the President on this security breach and patriotic Nigerians can now know who is pushing Governor Amaechi to rub shoulder with the chief security officer and C-in- C of a country. He whom the gods want to destroy he first made him bad!. My candid advice to Amaechi is know when to retreat and to pushed around by northern oligachy and opposition for self destruction
ReplyDeleteHe came late and want to interupt a progressing gathering. He is sick in d head. Y not wait till dat time comes. He made himself a fool. Nigerians should learn how to behave in d public.
ReplyDeleteHonestly dis country is going down day-by-day, wot excatly is d Sin of Ameachi b4 Aso-rock? Dis is a question Aso-rock has failed to answer since Ameachi won d re-eletion of dia 35-tugs leading abt 160-million of innocent suffering masses of a nation called Nigeria, is dis wot we called Democracy or Demonstration of Craze? Haba! Mr.Jonathan, enough is enough. As a father of a united family, u shuld learn how to manage ur home called Nigeria bcz d whole world is watching you ooooooooo, Mr.GEJ.
ReplyDeleteThis is an act of disrespect to d office of d president. Ameachi should have known better as a public servant and state governor. First if Ameachi wanted to guinuinely extend an olive branch to GEJ, he should have postpond d meeting of NGF and attend d dinner on time to keep with d world acceptable practice of not breaching protocol when d president is already seated. He wanted to be noticed 4 coming later after holding his meeting with his supporting governors. The opposition cannot be honest with dis situation because they are playing d music 4 Ameachi to peach againt his kinsman - GEJ. But I have one advise 4 Ameachi, stop thinking u are at par with d president. He is our president and u are a state governor. Respect his office even if u don't want to respect his person.
ReplyDeleteAmeachi has no right to arrive late at that meeting. Coming after mr president is an insult and he should hv been sent back. He should learn and understand protocols. The president and 2 other african leaders were already seated and a state walks in casually. Ameachi should an unreserved apology to the president, the nation and to africa for his unruly behavior.
ReplyDeleteScrew them all.
ReplyDelete