Date Published: 03/17/10

Press release.

Odili/Amaechi Handshake: New Restoration Team Defuses Information commissioner’s Propaganda

The New Restoration Team in Rivers State says this is the time to face real challenges of bad leadership staring the State in the face and not time to play to the gallery.

To the political umbrella hoped to relunch the State on the right path of politics, it is high time the information machinery of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi did away with baseless propaganda aimed at achieving cheap popularity.

The New Restoration Team was speaking against the backdrop of  the claim by Governor Amaechi’s Information Commissioner, Mrs Ibim Semenitari that the handshake between the former State governor, Sir. Dr Peter Odili and Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi at the burial church service of Late Chief Emmanuel Aguma is a sign of cordial relationship between the governor and his erstwhile boss and political father.

According to the New Restoration Team, true reconciliation goes beyond a mere handshake as no meeting of reconciliation has taken place between Sir. Dr Peter Odili, his followers and those of Governor Amaechi either here or outside the State.

Rather than show signs of remorse and genuine efforts to right the numerous wrongs done to Sir Dr Peter Odili one of which was the ill-motivated justice Eso Peace Reconciliation Panel Report whose only intent was to rubbish the former State Chief Executive and the key officials of his administration.

The New Restoration Team also noted with dismay the various actions of the incumbent leadership in the State to ostracize some genuine and foundation members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who are perceived to be loyal to Sir Dr Peter Odili and wondered how only a mere handshake with Dr Odili can right all these monumental wrongs instanta.

It therefore called on the Governor Amaechi-led government to retrace its steps and embark more on projects and programmes that can benefit the entire Rivers people as stakeholders and stop its discriminatory attitude to certain genuine members of the party in the State.

Signed

Jerry Needam

Publicity Secretary

New Restoration Team