Why They Are After Me – Amaechi

Rivers State governor and chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has shed more light on why he is the target of opposition from some politicians within and outside the state.

Speaking at a meet-the-people tour of communities in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state on Tuesday, Amaechi said most of the people opposed to him are in the rank of those he assisted one way or another, including contractors who failed to deliver.

At Oro-Igwe, he said, “If you check Obio/Akpor, you will see how many persons that have grown through me. Almost 80 per cent of those fighting me today are people who I have given billions of naira in contracts and they have put the money in their pockets; they did not deliver and they claim they are Ikwerre people.

“I have said that the road at Eneka was given to an Obio/Akpor son. The internal road at Rumuolumeni was given to a Rumuolumeni son. They gave it to one of Obio/Akpor sons to do. They have not done it. They have no fear, no shame. You know, the worst money to steal is the money belonging to your people. For me, go and check Ubima road, as an ordinary special assistant to Chief Rufus Ada George, the money he brought, we did the Ubima road and when I became speaker, I got Dr. Odili to do the road and the road lasted until I became governor.”

“I did not touch Ubima money. I did not say, ‘I want to be a big man, contractor, give me N40million first’. The first road to Ubima was N40 million, one kobo I did not see. All the roads in Rumuepirikom(community of Nyesom Wike) were done by this administration. I gave the contracts to your son and paid 100 per cent. But almost all the roads there have gone bad and they are not major traffic routes. It is because of greed. As an Ikwerre man, what else can I do? Please tell me what else you want me to do that I have not done? I just did not do the road, I gave it to Ikwerre people to go and do. If you are not a good contractor, you look for the good contractor to do for you, is it not? Now, you are not a good contractor, you don’t want to go and hire a good contractor, you just buy one pay loader and you begin to scratch the ground.”

He thanked the people of Oro-Igwe for the opportunity of meeting with them and urged them to beware of those who would be dishonest or would betray people for selfish reasons.

“Nobody should come here and lie to you. They are careless at talking. They lie a lot. Ask them, as speaker for eight years, governor for seven years, they should show you my property. They are buying people’s land all over, buying people’s properties all over, building houses without fear. Ask them, ‘where did they get the money from?’ If I gave them power, I gave them money, and they couldn’t build road for you, is it when they become governor that they will build it?”

“You know, it’s funny that all the roads we did around here have broken down. The Eneka-Rukpokwu road, we did it, we gave it to an Obio/Akpor son. I am here making this assurance that I will do it again. I promise that before I leave government, I will do it and by latest October, a contractor will come to do it,” he said.

“I am an Ikwerre son and I am the governor. If you know me, I have two qualities: I don’t compromise; I don’t betray people. Anybody who says I betrayed him should come forward. I hate dishonest people because I try not to be dishonest. What I can’t do for you, I will tell you I can’t do for you.”