Patience Jonathan •Says, ‘Amaechi is my son’ •Police declare Rivers House majority leader wanted

The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, in Abuja, on Wednesday, revealed the genesis of the crisis bedeviling Rivers State, saying she had committed the ongoing crisis in the state to prayer.

Mrs Jonathan said this during a visit to the Presidential Villa by 16 bishops from the South-South geopolitical zone.

“Rivers State issue is one thing I’ve committed to prayer, because I believe there is nothing God cannot do. God restored me and I’ll do His work without the fear of man.

“The truth will always remain the truth and what God ordains must come to pass and so Rivers issue is something we’ve handed over to God,” she said.

The First Lady said contrary to some reports, she had always mediated between Governor Rotimi Amaechi and other parties in a crisis that began four years ago.

“This matter started as far back as four years ago at Anyugubiri in Okrika, when I begged him not to demolish a part of Okrika but (that he should) dialogue first with the people.

“After that incident, he called the chairman of Okrika Local Government and sacked him for holding a reception in our honour; that boy was the first victim.

“He also imposed curfew on my people for nine months. I called him and pleaded with him but he refused. Then I began to hear all sort of propaganda in the media against me; this is not the way.

“I’ve never spoken about this issue but as men of God, I believe you’ll say the truth always, because there are a lot of conflicting interests; some will hear one thing and say the exact opposite.

“I also want you to know the genesis of this problem and pray that God touches Amaechi’s heart as per his hot temper, because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” she added.

Mrs Jonathan appealed to Amaechi to sheathe his sword “so that we can defend our state and this country with love, unity, patriotism and truth at all time.”

Quoting Hebrews 12:14, she said “Amaechi is my son, I cannot fight him and I cannot kill him. He shouldn’t be used by outsiders against his own blood because this seat is vanity.

“One day, no matter how long it takes, we will leave this seat. Power is not forever. This seat is vanity, others sat here and left, so one day, I’ll also leave and we will meet at home; so why should I fight him?

“Let’s take it easy, face issues, leave non-existent matters, stop magnifying lies and respect our leaders and people in authority. Let’s give peace a chance.”

Earlier, Bishop God-Do-Well Awomapara, chairman, Niger Delta Bishops Forum, who led the delegation, had said the visit was significant, “in view of emerging situations in our region.

“We are on a quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Rivers issue and mediate where necessary.”

Police declare Rivers House majority leader wanted
THE Rivers State police command has declared the leader of the state House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, wanted, on allegations of conspiracy, attempted murder and wilful damage.

The police, in a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, Angela Agabe, said the notice was necessitated by Lloyd’s refusal to honour an invitation by the police, adding that the offences he had been accused of were those that occurred on Tuesday, July 9, 2013, within the chambers of the assembly.

“The Rivers State police command has declared wanted one Honourable Chidi Lloyd, 37, a native of Emohua in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. He is the majority leader of Rivers State House of Assembly. He was involved in a case of conspiracy, attempted murder, wounding  and wilful damage on July 9, 2013,” the statement said.

It further explained that the invitation to the lawmaker expired on Tuesday, July 16, adding that the last time he was seen was on the day of the fracas in the assembly premises.

The statement further said the alleged crimes committed by Lloyd were being investigated by a special team from the Inspector General of Police, in collaboration with the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the state police command.

I’m going to court - Llyod
Lloyd said he would challenge the police notice on him by the police at the court, noting that action was unfair and could not hold.

Speaking through his lawyer, Emenike Ebete, in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, he expressed disappointment in the action of the police, which made it look like he was running from the law.

According to him, the police had sent an invitation to him, but had relayed his present medical condition to them, as he was still recuperating in a hospital.

“They invited my client last week, but we told them of his condition in the hospital because he also sustained injuries just like the others, as a result of the physical attack on him.

“Why will the police go ahead to declare him wanted? After all, we had told them what the situation is. We are going to challenge this in court,” Ebete said.

Also, in continuation of its determination to find the root cause of the crisis in the state, the police hierarchy has summoned Lloyd, the Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Rivers State Governor, Debeware-Semeikumo, and the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Governor, Tony Iwelu, to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for interrogation.

Force spokesman, Frank Mba, said in the video clips in circulation, a man carrying a mace and another in police uniform, as well as other security details were seen conducting themselves in a questionable manner.

Meanwhile, the IGP has warned police personnel on various legitimate assignments, particularly those attached to VIPs to always remain mindful of their conduct and ensure they upheld the professional ethics, traditions and best practices of the Force at all times.

Hold Jonathan accountable for attack on govs - ACN
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked Nigerians to hold President Goodluck Jonathan responsible if the country ended in anarchy over the political crises in Rivers State.

Reacting to the reported attack on the four governors who visited Governor Amaechi in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, the party, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Oro, Kwara State, said the attack was unprecedented in the country’s history.

“We will not accept the usual sophistry that President Jonathan is not in any way involved in the Rivers crisis. It is also not an excuse to argue that the president did not know that the visiting governors will be attacked, because as the country’s chief security officer, he has his ears and eyes all over the country in the persons of security agents.

“Therefore, if the argument is that he did not know of the attack, then he is not on top of his game,” the statement read.

The party wondered when it became a sin for any Nigerian, including elected officials, to visit any part of the country as the governors did, saying there could be no justification other than organised political rascality for a group of alleged paid hoodlums to invade a secure environment like the airport and pelt the convoy bearing the governors with all sorts of objects.

The party also wondered why the police could not provide adequate security for the visiting state chief executives and restrain the alleged hired scallywags from their action.

It said the unprofessional behaviour of the police in Rivers was the reason Nigerians had accused the state police command of bias and called for the re-deployment of the state commissioner of police, Joseph Mbu.

“The visiting governors were right to have visited their Rivers counterpart, in the face of the siege on him by renegades being teleguided from higher quarters. They are right to have expressed solidarity with Governor Amaechi, the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

“We salute the governors as true patriots and the real sustainers of our constitution and we demand appropriate sanctions for those whose dereliction of duty put the governors’ lives in danger,’’ it said.

I confronted Amaechi with presidency’s allegations - Soyinka
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Wednesday, said the presidency attempted in getting him to its side in its political battles against embattled Governor Amaechi.

A statement issued by him also revealed that he confronted Amaechi with the allegations provided by the presidency as the basis for moving against him.

Soyinka, however, did not give details of the reasons given by presidency on why it moved against Amaechi, while just saying “conflict of interest over certain resources”

According to him “in public interest, in order to eliminate all further distraction and enable the nation to concentrate on issues that affect the democratic pursuit, it is necessary to make the following information available:

“Before the press conference held by Femi Falana and myself - that is, even before the Rivers Assembly fracas - I had been canvassed by opposing sides of the face-off, both via telephone and physically.

“One such visit, perhaps the most significant, was made by a Special Adviser in the presidency who outlined what can be regarded as the official rationale for the Governors’ Forum election debacle.

“In the process of this exchange, he did make certain complaints against Governor Amaechi, including charges of a conflict of interests over certain resources. This was implied as the root of division between the Governors’ Forum and the Presidency.

“I wrote down the details, informed the emissary that I would pass on these accusations to Governor Amaechi - which I did. That Amaechi hotly denied them and offered contradicting facts, which he urged me to verify, remained, and remains utterly irrelevant to the democratic core of the conflict - and this has been made clear to all interventionists: Keyed into this core are:

“The arithmetic of democracy involved in figures 16 and 19 at the time, and now, with increased confidence in impunity, the figures 27 and 5.
“Whether or not it is democratic , even cultured proceeding that a state governor is barred from public access anywhere within his own zone of constitutional authority, with the massive security apparatus of the centre, on behalf of an unelected individual. Even after the Rivers crisis has been resolved, this notorious proceeding will not be permitted to fester unchallenged.

“For the rest, since beneath the surface of most Nigerian conflicts will be found inordinate greed for public resources, it is perhaps pertinent to remind ourselves that oil is not the only marvel to emerge from the Delta swamps. There are also exotic creatures  - mermaids, manatees, even mammy waters and hippopotami. However, unlike crude oil, which can be refined, you can extract a hippopotamus from the swamps, but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.”

Rivers govt raises the alarm over police posting around Amaechi
The Rivers State government has raised the alarm over security threat to the person of Governor Amaechi, as suspicious persons in the name of police personnel have been deployed to monitor him.

Disclosing this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), George Feyii, the government said the unsolicited and sudden appearances of four men at the Government House gates in Port Harcourt and two at the Rivers Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, had raised concerns on the safety of the governor.

According to the statement, the suspicious persons were deployed without notice or reference to the governor, adding that the  personnel claimed to have been deployed by the state police command and the Nigerian Police headquarters respectively.

The statement, however, expressed fears for the life of the governor, especially as the identities and intents of the personnel could not be ascertained and considering recent dispositions of police high command towards the governor, despite several calls from well-meaning Nigerians for a change.

“The Rivers State government notes with distress what is now an apparent attack on the person of Governor Amaechi. Yesterday (Tuesday), two policemen, one of whom is an Inspector Bawa, reported to the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge at Justice Mohammed Bello Street, Asokoro, Abuja. They claimed to have been posted by Nigeria Police headquarters to monitor the lodge.

“Earlier four intelligence officers had been posted to the Government House, Port Harcourt, by the Rivers State police command. The posting was done without any notification or reference to Governor Amaechi.

“We are aware that on issues of personal safety, an official reserves the right to pick the security personnel to whom he or she may entrust his safety. This is more so in the case of a state governor.

“We are worried that we can no longer guarantee the safety of Governor Amaechi and wish to reiterate our call on all relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the governor and the peace and security of everyone in Rivers State,” the statement read.

Attempts at getting a reaction from the police on the development was unsuccessful, as the spokesperson of the state police command, Angela Agabe, had switched off her mobile phone when called.

Meanwhile, the police authorities have warned all citizens against constituting themselves into or being part of an unlawful assembly in any part of the country.

Mba said all airports all over the world were regarded as “restricted areas,” adding that the force would not hesitate to prosecute persons found in an unlawful assembly in the country.

Nigerian Tribune