Rivers PDP Faults Senate Report
- Say Gaya’s committee was compromised
The Rivers state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted sharply to the Senate report on the crisis in the state which indicted President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience, as well as the PDP national leadership.
Parts of the report had listed the crisis as “the expression of deep-rooted political crisis occasioned by the alleged high-handedness of Amaechi and the perceived undue interference with the political and security structure of the state by the president, his wife and the national hierarchy of the PDP.”
The senators on Thursday also adopted aspects of the report which recommended the redeployment of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu.
However, the PDP chairman in the state. Elder Felix Obuah, said the Senator Kabiru Gaya-led committee, for self-serving interests, misled the senate. He said the report clearly demonstrated “the hand of Esau, but the voice of Jacob.”
Speaking to Pointblanknews.com, Obuah said the senators should have been discerning enough to see through the Gaya report.
He said the report merely confirmed the allegations that the Gaya panel had been compromised from the outset, and out to settle political scores.
He warned that, by adopting the report, the senate may have unwitting set a dangerous precedent and making itself the butt of ridicule.
Said Obuah: “There is no justification whatsoever for the removal of the CP (Mbu). What is his sin? This is a CP the governor wanted to be his lap dog, to be used against his political opponents like his ADC and CSO.
“As a professional, the CP said “No!” Rather than commend the CP for being unbiased, the senators are demanding his removal. This wrong.
“The question the senators failed to ask is, where is the IG expected to source CP Mbu’s replacement? From the moon? Governor Amaechi’s ADC and CSO beat up lawmakers. This, the senators conveniently overlooked.
Apparently they are more interested in hurriedly giving Mr. President, our amiable First Lady and great party a bad name for obvious political reasons,” said the PDP chairman.
He continued: “They are more interested in playing to the gallery. What proof do they have that Mr. President and the First Lady are involved in the crisis? Were they involved when Amaechi went to the Supreme Court to reclaim his mandate?
“How come now that I went to court to reclaim mine as PDP chairman, suddenly Mr. President is accused of being involved? Whenever they win, Mr. President is not involved. But whenever they lose, Mr. President is involved.
The party chairman gave an insight into the political crisis in the state, heaping the blame at the feet of Governor Amaechi.
“Why is Amaechi afraid? He and his evil cabal have shared out all elective positions for 2015, even when nobody is sure of tomorrow. They are afraid that with a Godly man like Brother Felix Amaechi Obuah as the party chairman, all their cartelling will fall like a pack of cards. That I will insist that the right candidates be allowed to run. This they don’t want. They want to determine who gets what, where and how. That is the problem. That is why they are crying wolf.”
Obuah decried what he said was fast becoming the governor’s habit of “importing” protesters into the state every time there is any political dispute.
He stated; “Nobody is talking of this penchant for hiring people from outside Rivers state each time we have any slight disagreement. Have these people solved a fraction of the problems in their states? Look at the almajiri problem.
“Look at Boko Haram, a problem that is the most serious threat to our existence. What have these people crying wolf done about that? Have they ever lifted a finger? How many times have these northern governors met on the matter?
“All they do is jump on the next available flight to come and poke nose in our internal affair. They come to milk us dry. Instead of using our money to develop Rivers State, Amaechi is busy doling out to hangers on and political surrogates who keep prodding him to march on. We insist that Amaechi use the resources of Rivers State for the people of the state,” he stressed.
The PDP chairman questioned Amaechi’s role in the legislators’ crisis, saying his undue interference fanned the crisis.
“What is Amaechi’s interest in the House of Assembly? They said five law makers were trying to unseat the Speaker. What then gave them the impression that five persons would be stronger than 27 persons, to the extent of beating them up? This is incredulous.
“On the pretext that there was misunderstanding in the Assembly, Amaechi stormed the venue with his security men and thugs, and beat up hapless legislators. This, itself, is the greatest threat to legislative independence, yet nobody is interested in talking about that,” the chairman said.
He wondered what would happen if the President were to storm the National Assembly with soldiers and policemen any time there was a fracas under the pretext of restoring law and order.
Posed Obuah; “How many times have Amaechi gone to quell fights in market places or during students’ riots? Why the interest in the Assembly. This is one question nobody can wish away. This is why we insist on calling him to order,” he declared.