Former governor of Rivers state and present Transport minister, Chief Rotimi Amaechi has accused police of failing in their duty in River state even as he described his successor, governor Nyeson Wike as ‘bushman.’
The minister who spoke when he visited the slain All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Omoku, Ogba, Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers state argued: “we can’t have police and be experiencing this kind of thing. Internal security is the responsibility of the police so if we have police and keep experiencing this in Omoku it means the police in Rivers State has failed and the people that are been killed are mostly APC members.”
Amaechi told the bereaved families that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of the killings in Omoku and promised that full investigation will be carried out to unravel the killers.
“The President is fully aware of the situation. I was the governor of this state and Omoku wasn’t this bad. Police can’t claim not to know who the people are because I was governor, the police worked with me, we knew where the criminals were and we went after them.”
Amaechi also assured the people that arrangements have been made to beef up security ahead of the State and National Assembly re- run elections in the state.
“There will be enough security on the Election Day. There will be enough security to protect lives.”
Amaechi also visited families of late Frankline Obi and late Chukwuladi Adiela in Omoku, Rivers state.
The late Frankline Obi was the APC chairman of ward 4 and was killed and beheaded by unknown gunmen alongside his pregnant wife and son while late Chukwuladi Adiela was an APC stalwart of ward 14.
The former governor accused his successor Wike of lacking the political will and capacity to govern Rivers State, saying: “Wike lacks capacity to govern. Somebody who just knows how to steal money is a bushman.”
Amaechi at an APC rally in Rumueme, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, ahead of the state and national assembly elections, asked Wike to bring evidence to show that he is corrupt.
“I will bring evidence to show that Wike is corrupt. Wike did the Rukpoku/Eneka road during my tenure and did not complete it. I gave Wike the contracts to do all the roads around Aristle House (a hotel in GRA) but he failed to do them, I gave him 14 schools to give to Obio/Akpor people, he stole them, he lacks character.”
On the security situation in the state, Amaechi said: “when I was the governor, one thing that I kept thinking of was how to chase these criminals away but under Nyesom Wike, he meets with them. If Wike does not secure you people, the federal government will secure you. If he doesn’t want to be ignored he should go and secure you people because federal government will no longer tolerate these killings in Rivers State.”
“Saturday is your day, come out and vote. They will no longer have the police they had, they will no longer have the army they had, we pray that INEC should be neutral, your job is to match out and vote for APC, we will not write results like Nyesom Wike, so go back to your wards and do door to door.”
Also, in Akuku/Toru local government area, Amaechi told his party supporters to be courageous in exercising their franchise without fear of intimidation
“You see, it is not enough to provide security because if there are no votes we will lose, the implication therefore is that all of you must come out and vote for APC so that we will win the election.” [myad]
