Our attention has been
drawn to misrepresentations and innuendoes as it concerns the immediate past
Governor of Rivers State and current minister of Transportation Rt. Hon.
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the purchase and importation of two helicopters into
Nigeria that were supposedly abandoned at the Murtala Mohammed International
airport, Lagos. To set the records straight, we wish to state the following
facts:
1. Recall that when Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi took over as Governor of Rivers State, criminals masquerading as
militants, kidnappers and all other criminal elements were on the prowl in
Rivers State. With a strong political will to tackle these menace and make the
State a safe place, Amaechi initiated a lot of measures to deal with the menace.
Purchasing these helicopters was one of the measures the Amaechi administration
took to curb the clandestine and criminal activities in the state. And the
decision to go for these helicopters was based on the advice and recommendation
of security experts and specialists that were working closely with our Nigerian
security agents to rid the state of these criminals- kidnappers, pipeline
vandals, vicious political cultists etc.
2. Sequel to the recommendation of security
experts, the Rivers State Government bought the two Bell 412 security
surveillance helicopters during the administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi, in collaboration with the federal government through the office of the
National Security Adviser(NSA). The federal government then was very impressed
with the Amaechi administration security plan to curb criminality in the State
and supported the plan all the way. To show their support, the Federal
government through the office of the NSA contributed $15M (Fifteen Million
Dollars), about half of the total sum, towards the purchase of the helicopters.
Also, the then former President Goodluck Jonathan administration granted
waivers to the Rivers State government to purchase and import the helicopters.
3. However, trouble started many months later
when the helicopters became ready for the Rivers State Government to take
possession of them and use to fight crime and the criminals in the land and
creeks of the State. The President Goodluck Jonathan administration frustrated
and rebuffed all attempts by Amaechi and the Rivers State government to take
possession of the helicopters. Note that the said helicopters were partly
funded by the federal government and that would be operated and managed by
federal security agencies in collaboration with the Rivers State government.
4. This strange twist was most baffling to the
Rivers State government. Many would recall that, Amaechi as Governor of Rivers
State at different times cried out, spoke loudly about the refusal of the
President Goodluck Jonathan administration to allow the Rivers State government
takes possession of the security surveillance helicopters. It was about
security, the safety of lives and properties, but the Jonathan administration
refused and bluntly blocked the Rivers State government from taking possession
of the helicopters. The same helicopters the federal government had months
back, partly funded and had granted approvals and waivers for the purchase and
importation into the country.
5. It was obvious why the President Goodluck
Jonathan administration acted the way it did and Nyesom Wike, the present
Governor of Rivers State was an integral part, a major player in the whole
conspiracy to block and prevent Rivers State government from taking possession
of the helicopters. Then, as a minister in President Jonathan’s cabinet, Wike
inundated President Jonathan with lies and fake stories of how then Governor
Amaechi wanted to use the helicopters for Presidential campaigns against
Jonathan, how Amaechi will use the helicopters to support President Jonathan’s
opponents before and during the presidential elections and all sorts of
concocted tales that created a false impression that the Amaechi government in
Rivers State would use the helicopters against and to fight President Jonathan,
and not to secure lives and property.
6. Wike then, was already nursing the ambition
to run for the office of Governor of Rivers State, he didn’t care about the
security of lives and property, his grand plot was to use the criminals, political
cultists and criminal militants to harass, intimidate terrorize, maim and even
kill his political opponents and those that refuse to support or vote for him,
before and during the elections. Wike knew early that he needed these criminal
elements to rig his way to Rivers State government House, so he did everything
to ensure that these criminals will always be available for him to use.
7. It is worrisome and indeed pathetic that
Governor Nyesom Wike as usual, is again playing politics with the safety and
security of Rivers people. The helicopters were procured by the Amaechi
administration to curb the wanton menace of criminals in the State(which has
since worsened under Wike’s watch), but in his usual habit, Governor Wike has
decided to abandon and dump the helicopters, because he does not care about the
safety and security of lives and property in the State. Sad, very sad.
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