The Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the claims by Governor Rotimi Amaechi who alleged that he was stopped on Thursday, September 12, 2013 by the police from entering Government House Port Harcourt.
The party said Amaechi’s allegation which he supported by a concocted video footage on the net is a calculated ploy to further smear the name of the Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu whom he (Amaechi) has continued to demand his removal from the State.
The PDP statement issued by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on media to the State Chairman Felix Obuah explained that Governor Amaechi in his usual characteristic only intended to win public sympathy as there was no reason for his choice of that route at the period when there are several access roads, some of which are direct and smoother leading to the Government House.
The party said there were strong indications that the Governor wanted to personally go and open the rebel group party secretariat on receiving the information that his allies were earlier prevented by the police from hoisting the flag while trying to commission the office.
“It is disheartening to observe that the Governor, who few minutes earlier, was at the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive Mr. President will suddenly accuse same President of ordering the police to deny him access to the Government House by blocking the entrance to the place.
The PDP in Rivers State unequivocally condemns in absolute terms this unwarranted and demeaning contempt on the person and office of Mr. President by Mr Rotimi Amaechi.
“This incident also reminds us of the Governor’s role in the June 9, 2013 drama at the Rivers State House of Assembly during which he personally went to supervise the brutalization of some law makers by a colleague loyal to the Governor himself. So, he is known to be a showman who plays to the gallery only to achieve a cheap point and distort the fact”.
While re-emphasizing that the Governor’s action was aimed at besmirching the president and leader of the great Peoples Democratic party, the Rivers State PDP recalled that in 2009 when a similar action to open a parallel Rivers State PDP office was to be taken, the same Governor Amaechi ordered for the arrest and detention of those linked to such incident and charged them for cultism and illegal assemblage.
The party noted that since his failed attempt to remove the Commissioner of Police from the State, the Governor has resorted to blackmail and making frantic efforts in igniting crisis, security breach and disorder in the State just to justify his claims of Police ineffectiveness in tackling crimes and security issues.
“One cannot remember when last the governor used that route to the government House, and the speed at which the video clip was posted on the net suggests it was an orchestrated plan by the Governor to malign and cause public disaffection against the police and the president.
The parties again reiterates its earlier call on the public not to be swayed by the cheap blackmail of Governor Amaechi but to discountenance such allegation as there is no truth in it.
The party equally distances itself and Rivers people from calculated attempts by Governor Amaechi to bring the name and office of the President of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan to public odium.
