The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and a serving Senator, Ben Bruce, on Sunday engaged in a twitter fight over the activities of the current government.
Ben Bruce
The fight was set off by a tweet posted by a popular tweeter user, Japhet Omojuwa, who tweeted that Ben Bruce should not be taken seriously.
“The reason I will NEVER take people like Ben Bruce serious is because when they saw a leader (GEJ) do wrong, they kept quiet. Don’t be Bruce,” he said.
Responding, the Bayelsa Senator chose to use the recent comments credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that some Nigerians are giving the country a bad image by engaging in nefarious activities around the world.
While condemning the president’s comments, Mr. Bruce wrote on his twitter page that “Your own minister spent ₦80 million on a one day dinner, yet it is your citizens you accuse of being criminals #IAmANigerianNotACriminal”.
The tweet seemed apparently targeted at Mr. Amaechi whose administration was accused of spending N80 million to organised a dinner for Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka.
Apparently sensing the jibe thrown at him by the Senator, Mr. Amaechi wasted no time in responding to Mr. Bruce; accusing him of being a coward.
“A coward who is not bold enough to name the minister that he alleged criminally spent N80M on dinner is unfit to sit in our senate chambers,” he said.
Mr. Amaechi’s spokesperson, David Iyofor, Sunday confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the twitter handle used in responding to Mr. Murray-Bruce (@ChibuikeAmaechi) belongs to the Minister of Transport.
He also said the Minister’s response was triggered by Mr. Bruce.
The Senator responded to Mr. Amaechi by referring to the recent Supreme Court judgment that upheld the election of Nyesom Wike as governor, thereby, stifling the hope of the APC candidate and Mr. Amaechi’s ally, Dakuku Peterside.
He posted another tweet on his handle @benmurraybruce saying, “When you have been Wike’d, you become wicked! But you will always be my beloved brother, no matter how much you transfer the anger on me.”
The Transport Minister reacted by accusing the Bayelsa Senator of only finding his voice on twitter while he is hardly seen contributing to debates in the Senate.
“I will not respond to innuendos. Be courageous, name the minister. We know you talk here & do ‘siddon’ look where you are elected to talk,” he said.
RIVERS State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, dismissed the claims that his administration was attacking the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in order to deprive him (Amaechi) of a ministerial appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike explained that rather than worry about the possible appointment of Amaechi into President Buhari’s cabinet, he was interested in how the state’s funds were managed under the former governor.
He pointed out that a situation where nothing was left in the state’s treasury on his assumption of office as governor was annoying, worrisome and unacceptable.
Wike, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Taria, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that it was illogical for anybody to claim that his complaint about corruption in the immediate past administration had any link with Amaechi likelihood of getting a federal appointment.
“So, what is he (Ameachi) going to do to him (Wike) as a minister or Federal Government appointee? Wike has not told anybody that he does not want President Buhari to appoint Amaechi as a minister. He has never said it; these are just insinuations and innuendos.
“If Mr. President, known for his mantra of zero tolerance for corruption; is saying that he is not going to appoint anybody with a stained image as a member of his cabinet and Rivers people are saying that Rotimi Amaechi is not qualified for an appointment, there is no problem with that.
“But the truth is that paint Amaechi black, if he (Buhari) does not want to appoint him (Amaechi), he will not. Paint Amaechi white, if the President is not interested in him, he will not appoint him.
“The talk about whether Amaechi should be appointed into Buhari’s cabinet is just the feeling from Rivers’ people and not the governor himself. He has never discussed the issue of whether Amaechi should be appointed by Mr. President or not.
“The governor is more interested in how the funds of Rivers State were spent; whether they were judiciously spent or they were just frittered away. That is the interest because it is annoying that when we took over, we met an empty treasury,” Wike said.
He expressed worry that those responsible for emptying the state’s treasury were the same people accusing him of taking N30bn loan within a month.
He said, “They forgot that you are supposed to pay salaries; you are supposed to open the judiciary. The governor gave the judiciary N300m for takeoff and he also had to pay some of the students abroad who were owed allowances. Civil servants, pensioners and footballers, who were owed salaries, were paid.”
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan is not preparing for a free and fair elections.
Rotimi Amaechi
The governor, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday, said that it was unfortunate that the President was preaching one thing but busy doing another.
Amaechi wondered why the President was using soldiers to intimidate the people of the state and also terrorizing them.
He was particularly referring to the use of armed soldiers to invade the Adoke Amiesimaka Stadium, located in Igwuruta-Ali in Ikwerre Local Government Area, ahead of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in the stadium.
He said the facility in the stadium was being upgraded and that there was no permission given to the Peoples Democratic Party to make use of the stadium, which he said is a state government property.
Amaechi said, “It is now clear that the President does not want free and fair elections. All his statement on this matter should be ignored.
“Now, if he wants free and fair election, why would he use armed soldiers to forcefully take over a state government facility when it has not been given to him or his party to campaign?
“Work is ongoing at the stadium and another one has been given to them to hold the rally. Why must he insist on using the stadium where workers are still working?”
The governor asked Nigerians and the international community to focus on the country and the state in particular, warning that the PDP and the President must be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order during or after the elections.
He however appealed to the people of the state and members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress to remain calm even in the face of the “undeserved provocation from the President they laboured to put in power.”
Asked if such action of using soldiers was not meant to intimidate the APC members in the state ahead of the elections, he said yes, but added that the people of the state were above intimidation.
According to him, “Change is imminent. They know this. We also know. The world knows. But the people who are leaving are bound to give a fight.
“They don’t want to down easily. But the people of Rivers and Nigerians have made up their minds on what they want.
“They are tired of an ineptitude government that cannot provide security for them, they cannot get employment from. They rely on the APC for the needed change which will come by the grace of God come February 14.”
The Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Chibuike Amaechi has stated in clear terms that, equity, natural justice and fair judgement were the salient criteria used in selecting Dakuku Adol-Peterside, from the Rivers South-East Senatorial District as gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2015 general elections.
Rotimi Amaechi
Mr. Amaechi stated this during the APC gubernatorial primary election held at the Main Bowl of the Alfred Diette-Spiff Complex, Port Harcourt, the state capital.
He maintained that the Rivers West Senatorial district and the Rivers East Senatorial district have taken their gubernatorial zoning slots in the past years, adding that, equity must reign supreme in ensuring that the governor after him comes from the Rivers South-East Senatorial zone in 2015.According to him, “Rivers West Senatorial district and Rivers East Senatorial district have taken their slots, and now, equity demands that it should go to Rivers South-East Senatorial district.
“The All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State had earlier agreed that the governorship slot should go to Hon, (Dr) Dakuku Adol-Peterside…From today, I will continue to be in the front of Hon (Dr.) Dakuku Adol-Peterside until all elections are concluded.
“My joy is that, today, we have shown the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that there can be another popular party in Rivers State. In the last elections in 2011, we gave the PDP over 1.8million votes. This time, we challenge them to come and get such votes again let us see. This is the time to prove our point. Our delegates for this gubernatorial primary election are 4,574. This is an opportunity to ensure that, we do not suffer any longer.”
The APC leader in the state also commended Senator Magnus Abe and his Deputy Tele Ikuru for their sterling qualities and useful contributions to his administration, urging them to remain steadfast and committed to the party.
“That does not mean that, one of my bosom friends, Senator Magnus Abe is not qualified. There are two distinct Rivers people I respect so much because of their intellect. They are Senator Magnus Abe and Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, but, it is unfortunate, Ajumogobia will not be allowed to win the PDP guber primaries. In the same way, I have mentioned that the Deputy Governor, Engineer Tele is also qualified. With my Deputy, I have never watched my back. If I am overseas or in London, and I called him to handle some assignments, he has been doing well beyond my expectations. He is a man of due process,” Mr. Amaechi noted.
Mr. Amaechi equally explained that, the choice of Hon. (Dr) Dakuku Adol-Peterside is hinged on the struggle for the return of the Soku oil wells bequeathed to Bayelsa State and the Etche oil well to Abia State being masterminded by the federal government.
“We have suffered long in the hands of the Federal government. All the oil wells in Soku, owned by the Kalabari people have been taken away to Bayelsa State and that of Etche to Abia state. We will fight with everything to deliver APC in the 2015 general elections. As APC faithful, I expect all of us to have Soku and Etche oil wells at the back of our minds. The oil wells belong to our people. When I leave office, I expect the next Governor to continue the struggle for the return of the oil wells to our people, the Rivers people”, Mr. Amaechi explained.
The State chief Executive task the Military and the Police that will be deployed to monitor the 2015 general elections in the state to be neutral and ensure the protection of lives and property.
Mr. Amaechi advised the Military and the Police not to be partisan in politics as such attempt could be regarded as an act of impunity against civilians.
“I hear the PDP and the Federal government are planning to use the military and the Police to stop me from moving around during the 2015 general elections. I am the chief security officer of the state and if they stop me, you will see what will happen. The duty of the Military and the Police during the elections is to ensure protection of lives and property”, Amaechi said.
He further commended stakeholders and party faithful for choosing and giving automatic tickets to Assembly members in the All Progressives Congress, APC and advised those who lost out to remain steadfast in moving the party forward.
Governor Amaechi used the opportunity to urge Rivers people to foster a free, fair and credible election in the 2015 general elections, adding that their Permanent Voters Card is key in choosing credible candidates.
Earlier, the Chairman of the APC Guber Primary election, Prince Austin Nweke thanked Governor Amaechi and party faithful for making it easy for the panel to conduct the party primaries in an atmosphere devoid of rancour and acrimony.
“What Governor Amaechi and you, the APC supporters have done is a new step that has ushered in peace and harmony in the state. Without your earlier decision, it would have been difficult to conduct the Guber primaries. Some APC states have over 18 guber aspirants, but this committee or panel is overwhelmed by the decision taken by Governor Amaechi and the party. We are at a new level”, Prince Nweke said.
Press Unit Government House, PH. December 4, 2014.
