Former Rivers State Governor,
Rotimi Amaechi has maintained his call on the Governor Nyesom Wike to protect
the people of the state or resign.
Amaechi in a broadcast on
incidents of violence in different parts of the state said the killing in Omoku
was a justification of the failure of his successor’s administration.
He said the loss of Lives
recorded in Omoku, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government area and the killings in
Andoni and massacre of a dozen others in Egbeda in Emohua was the outcome of
the seed of violence allegedly sown by Governor Wike in the build up to the
2015 General elections.
Amaechi who is now the Minister
of Transportation alleged that all institutional reforms especially in the area
of Security put in place by his administration has been destroyed by Wike.
The Minister said the Governor’s
response to the breakdown of Security in his state was appalling and
disappointing.
The text reads:
In the past few years, we have
suffered and endured a debilitating state of insecurity in Rivers state. Many
lives have been cut short while many more have been maimed. Hopes and dreams
have been dashed; families distraught and destroyed. Murderous cult groups and
rival gangs reign supreme. Our once peaceful State has lost its serenity and
lustre. We are now been derisively referred to as ‘Rivers of Blood’.
However, the killings in Omoku in
the first few hours of this new year and the uninspiring, inept, blame-game
response of a State government that swore to an oath to protect every Rivers
man and woman should collectively compel us to action and scream that we’ve had
enough of the insecurity and bloodbath.
In the early hours of New Year’s
Day, defenceless residents of Omoku were gruesomely attacked and murdered on
their way home from the new year cross over night church service. 23 men, women
and children were murdered in the attack. In the first couple of days of this
new year, people have also been murdered in Andoni and Egbeda.
Some 48 hours after the Omoku
massacre, the response of the governor and government of Rivers State whose
primary responsibility is to protect you from these kind of attacks was a
gabble blather about a two hundred million naira bounty and to launch another
round of attacks on me because I politely advised them to protect Rivers people
or resign from office.
Like most of you, I was shocked,
utterly disgusted to hear the man, who, I must repeat, took an oath to protect
you, attempts to justify and casually explain away the cold-blooded murder of
innocent Rivers people in Omoku on New Year’s Day. The governor’s attempt to
justify and compare the Omoku murders or any other killings in Rivers State to
whatever is happening in any other part of the country is a deceitful,
poisonous narrative that we must never allow to flourish. The governor’s
repugnant attempt at finger pointing, blaming oil companies, opposition
politicians and everyone else apart from himself, is a clear indication that he
has abdicated his primary constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and
property.
You know, and many outside Rivers
State know that the nature and type of insecurity, violence and carnages in the
State are unique and peculiar to the State. The madness in Rivers State since
the advent of these NEW men of power is rooted firmly in the witchcraft
politics of those who now preside over the affairs of the State. They lack the
political will and have devilishly refused to halt the violence and killings,
and restore some level of sanity in the State because of their mischievous
politics and voodoo electoral calculations.
Let no one deceive you with a
twisted narrative on the origins, causes and solutions to the bloodbath in
Rivers State. Most of you can attest to how I battled and tackled insecurity
when I served as your governor. I led the fight against the cultists, gangs,
thugs and criminals masquerading as militants; they were driven out from
hiding, many fled the State. I was able to do that because I was never in bed
with the criminals; I never appointed any into political office or crowned any
king. The administration I led was able to return the State to serenity from
the horrible state of insecurity and violence we met when we took over. Rivers
people enjoyed peace until the months leading up to the 2015 general elections
when these ‘new’ men of power in the state introduced unprecedented violence
and killings in the State.
We cannot continue to live like
this. The Omoku massacre is the breaking point where we must all collectively
rise up and raise our voices to say we’ve had enough. The governor and Chief
Security Officer of the State who swore an oath to protect us must now protect
us or resign from office. We will no longer tolerate his inability and/or
refusal to protect defenceless citizens. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
My thoughts and prayers are with
all who lost loved ones in the Omoku attack, as we continue to pray for the
repose of the souls of those who were murdered. I assure you that the federal
government will begin to protect you.
I wish everyone the very best and
a peaceful, happy new year.
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