Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said he will seek a second term in office as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
Amaechi said he would take part in the forthcoming NGF election, not minding if he would lose or win at the end of the day.
Speaking on Sunday during a special church service organised by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Most Reverend Camillus Etukudo, at Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor said contrary to claims in some quarters, he was not an arrogant person.
Amaechi attributed his current travails to the NGF chairmanship position. He, therefore solicited prayers for his success during the forthcoming election.
The governor recalled that he had faced a similar crisis in the past but succeeded through the power of prayers.
Her said, “I told my friends that I will run for the NGF election. The chairmanship position of the NGF is the genesis of this crisis (travails). Something similar to what is happening now happened in the past, and we prayed ourselves into power.
“When I’m asked a question, people expect me to tell a lie or bend it a bit; and suddenly it comes out straight. And when it comes out straight, people don’t like it.
“And my Catholic Priest told me that it is only me that will account for my soul before God, not even my wife will help me to account for my soul. So, if because of you, I bend it a bit, how will I answer to my God?”
He added, “I like being straight-forward and honest, but some people say I am proud. They say I am arrogant: I am brash, but it is not arrogance. Just because I look at you in the face and tell you the truth, people say it is arrogance.”
Amaechi, however, commended Etukudo for the solidarity, and promised to deliver on his promise to God and man. He described the activities of his political opponents as a calculated distraction against his government.
The governor urged members of the State Executive Council to shun any form of distraction and remain focused in service delivery to the people of the state.
“The solidarity you (Etukudo) have shown to me and my wife today, we can only take it to God. We thank God for your presence here. One promise I will make to you is that I will continue to deliver on my promise to God and man that they can’t take away from us.
“They are just trying to distract us. You know, usually, governors begin well and sometimes end badly. If we allow them to distract us, we will end badly. So don’t you ever listen to anybody; they can’t do anything, knowing that God is behind us,” Amaechi stated.
Worried by the recent problem in power supply in the state, the governor identified one of the main targets of his administration before leaving office in 2015 as steady power supply to the people of the state.
Earlier, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Etukudo, had said the people and himself were at the Government House to pray for peace.
The bishop expressed gratitude to members of the congregation for their large turnout for the special church service.
He said, “We are not part of politics, but we appreciate that you are not disturbed again. But we will continue to hand you over to God, because, your best friend today can become your worst enemy tomorrow and that is politics.
“But have the courage to change what you can change and also the serenity to accept what you cannot change. Ask from God the wisdom to know the difference.”
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Source: Punch
