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 was 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 menaces 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’s 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’s 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 them 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 and spoke loudly about the refusal of the President
Goodluck Jonathan administration to allow the Rivers State government take
possession of the security surveillance helicopters. It was about
security, the safety of lives and property, 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 refused to support or vote for him
before, during and after 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 be always
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.
RT. HON. CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI MEDIA OFFICE
January 29, 2017