Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi
RIVERS
State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said that he stayed away from the
Nigeria’s centenary in Abuja in order to get even with President
Goodluck Jonathan whom he said failed to honour the invitation to 100
years anniversary of Port Harcourt last year.
The governor explained that even when
prominent indigenes of the state visited the President in Abuja and
invited him to the 2013 event in Port Harcourt, he refused to be at the
occasion.
Amaechi, who spoke at a book presentation
to mark the 70th birthday of the former Vice Chancellor of the
University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Nimi Briggs, on Saturday, explained
that he had expected Jonathan to honour the invitation from the state.
He said, “When they ask me why I did not
attend the celebration, I said five prominent Rivers men left here to go
and invite the President. When they approached me that they wanted to
go and invite the President, I said, ‘don’t bother your head, the
President won’t come.’
“They said ‘no, not after he had seen
us.’ They (Rivers indigenes) are seated hear, Justice Karibi Whyte, Prof
Tekena Tamuno, Prof E.J. Alagwa, Chief Agbaru and Prof. Nimi Briggs;
and they went. They were very well received by our President and they
were very impressed.
“They came back to my house that day in
Abuja and they told me that they met with the President and I was
excited. Everybody in the Federal Government told me the President would
come (for the Port Harcourt centenary). The President did not come.
“So, I told them that I would not go to
(Nigeria’s) centenary because Port Harcourt turned 100 and the President
refused to come even though he grew up here. I said I would not go to
Nigeria’s Centenary in response to his (Jonathan) refusal to come for
Port Harcourt Centenary.
“I did that not because I wanted to
disrespect the President. I respect him for his age and his achievement
in the society. I thought that the Federal Government should have
respected and honoured that invitation,” Amaechi said.
Source; Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment