On Tuesday, September 31, 2007, there were unconfirmed reports that the Economic and Financial crimes Commission was compiling a list of the twenty-three local government chairmen in Rivers State with a view at arresting them on trumped up charges. Less than twenty-four hours after, men of the Commission had stormed the state in a bid to carry out a high-profile plot to destabilize the Gov. Amaechi-led government, albeit with a view to ‘teach’ him some lessons.
2011 Elections: EFCC Invades Rivers
…Seeks to ‘Kidnap’ Three Local Government Chairmen, Two Commissioners
…”It is Political” – Amaechi, Rivers Vanguard
…”We Shall Resist Them” ~Rivers Youth
On Tuesday, September 31, 2007, there were unconfirmed reports that the Economic and Financial crimes Commission was compiling a list of the twenty-three local government chairmen in Rivers State with a view at arresting them on trumped up charges. Less than twenty-four hours after, men of the Commission had stormed the state in a bid to carry out a high-profile plot to destabilize the Gov. Amaechi-led government, albeit with a view to ‘teach’ him some lessons.
The Beam findings revealed that the operative, who came from the Headquarters of the Commission in Abuja stormed the three local governments of Port Harcourt City (PHALGA), Ikwerre (KELGA) and Obio-Akpor (OBALGA), where they searched for the Council Chairmen, who were said not to have been on seat. Our source revealed that when they arrived KELGA, the Chairman, Kierian Wobodo was not on seat but they met his deputy who sought to know why the operatives failed to first send letters of invitation to the Chairman. The deputy was said to have been told by the ‘Men in Red’ that the mission was a special one, as such did not require due process or the rule of law.
Having failed in their mission the first day, the operatives who were said to be working on orders from above, remained in the state hoping to effect the arrest of the men, as well as the Commissioners for Finance and Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
At PHALGA, the Mayor, Azubuike Nmerukini who was said to have travelled outside the state was not also on seat. The same was the case at OBALGA, whose Chairman, Timothy Nsirim had left the Council for project inspection. It is not clear if the EFCC officials contacted the Commissioner for Finance and his Local Government counterpart, Tammy Danagogo, as Danagogo who spoke to The Beam the next day said he was not aware of any invitation. Mr. Femi Babafemi, the spokesman of EFCC confirmed through wire that the officials of the Commission were actually in the state for a ‘routine check’. On further questioning on why the wrong approach of invasion, he said, “Infact, we are there to arrest the three chairmen and the two commissioners, and bundle them to Abuja, though they have gone underground, we are certain that we must get them”.
But Danagogo in reaction to Babafemi’s position, said it was wrong for the Commission to attempt to ‘bundle’ any body in the state and infact in the Niger Delta in a commando style, considering the volatile nature and skirmishes of violence which have characterized the region over the years. He said the proper thing was for the Commission to formally invite those affected so as to enable them come with documents and sufficient proof to defend themselves of any allegations. “I will resist any such attempt because I am not sure if they are militants despite whatever uniforms they wear. Afterall, we have seen people killed in this region and in the country by those posing to be uniformed men or security agencies”.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi has condemned the recent moves by the Commission to destabilize his government despite his efforts to truly develop the state. During the opening ceremony of the Summit on Information and Communications in Port Harcourt on Thursday, September 02, 2010, the youthful governor said it was sad that the same people who tried to stop him from being governor in 2007 are at it again. While addressing journalists who were gathered at the occasion, Amaechi said if the Commission does not desist from harassing its officials, that Rivers people will be forced to rise up against them. He wondered why the Commission would make itself a willing tool in the hands of those who have nothing good to offer the people.
In a related development, a body known as the Rivers Vanguard for Good Governance, RIVGGAN, in a press release made available to The Beam, condemned what it described as a politically motivated onslaught against the governor and the people of the state by the cabal that wants to stop the governor from seeking re-election. The Rivers Vanguard through its spokesman, Ejike Umunna-Amadi alleged that the plot by the EFCC to arrest some government officials was due to false allegations leveled against Gov. Amaechi by some desperate politicians that he does not support the second-term bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. Mr. Amadi said they were political jobbers doing mischief at the Presidency, as that has been their stock-in-trade. The group warned of the impact of such division in the South-South as that would not augur well for Mr. President should he seek re-election.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Nyesom Wike also took a swipe at those who instead of coming to the field to test their popularity, would opt for witch-hunting as a way of getting power. He said, “we have been through this road before and we know those behind this. It is a shame that political issues would be settled using the instrumentality of the EFCC to disturb a government that has remained focused. All they need to do if they want to stop Gov. Amaechi is to come to the field during the primaries to test their popularity and not by looking for godfathers to force them on the people. That is absolute mediocrity”, he thundered. Meanwhile, there are speculations that the recent move to destabilize governance in the state is not unconnected with the alleged face-off between the home-based group of politicians and the Abuja-group.
The Beam, had in its last edition, reported that some politicians may take advantage of the little brush between the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and Gov. Amaechi at Okrika, her home town during her two-day visit to the state to lunch her pet project, the Women of Change Initiative, to attract the sympathy of the Presidents wife in their guest to contest the next elections. Dame Patience Jonathan and Amaechi had disagreed on the manner of approach to the issue of demolition of some structures that affected the construction of a model primary school in which the government had embarked on. The governor’s efforts to explain his government’s attempt to negotiate with the people on how compensation would be paid, was sharply resisted by Mrs. Jonathan, who apparently was already biased. Unfortunately, the planned reception for Mrs. Jonathan by the Chiefs of her home town was not on the governor’s itinery as such the governor was surprised and wondered why the breach in protocol. The Chairman of the Council, Mr. Tammy Oba could not find any explaination but rather feigned ignorance of the arrangement. That further widened the gulf between the governor and her guest.
Inside sources say Hon. Oba who incidentally is a cousin to the First Lady, was advised to resign by the people of the area who condemned his inefficiency and immaturity. Though Oba’s deputy has since been sworn-in, the former chairman denied that he did not resign from office. It is alleged that the embattled formed Chairman, in a bid to survive the shock of his short-lived eight month tenure, became recalcitrant and leaned on the support of those opposed to Amaechi from the area. The Beam authoritatively gathered from sources close to the commission that Hon. Oba may have leveled some allegations on his former colleagues as well as the state government, as a way to fight back.
But another government source who dismissed the claims said that it is only possible that those who want to stop Amaechi decided to cash in on the matter, to use the Anti-graft body to discredit the governor and his men. “The era of using the EFCC to harass perceived political opponents has passed. They must have respect for the Rule of Law which the Yaradua/Jonathan government enthroned”, he said contrary to reports in some section of the media, which has it that Gov. Amaechi is not in support of the ambition of President Jonathan, the governor refuted such claims during the Information Summit. He said, “It is not true that I am against the President, what I have said is that we need to reform the state”.
Now that the ‘opposition’ particularly from the Riverine divide are trying to use in on their relationship with the President who also is an Ijaw man, to upstage the governor, it is also likely that the Upland people who occupy 14 local government areas out of the 23 in the state would rally round the governor, one of their own. There are also speculations that the group which is alleged to be behind the onslaught have dropped the idea of fielding a Kalabari candidate and have concluded plans to rather field a candidate from the Ogoni axis of the Upland divide.
The Beam