By Ugo Aliogo
The Rivers State Government yesterday called on the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, to be courageous enough to admit his penchant for dictatorship and accept responsibility for the crisis that has engulfed the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
It also appealed to Amaechi to leave Governor Nyesom Wike out of the crises bedeviling the party.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, made the appeal in reaction to some uncomplimentary remarks made by the minister against Wike.
While addressing his party supporters at Rumueme Civic Centre in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Amaechi had said: “Wike is panicking, sponsoring APC members to cause confusion, he must go in 2019.”
But Okah described him as a confused man who is yet to learn that dictatorship has no place in a democracy.
“Amaechi is the problem of APC in Rivers State. He is the one who dictates when members can aspire to hold any office; He is the one who has treated party members like they are his slaves and the consequence is that the party is factionalised into three camps,” Okah said, noting that Wike has no hand in the split that has befallen the APC in Rivers State,” Okah said.
Continuing, the commissioner added, “The present crisis rocking the APC originated from the minister’s insistence that a serving senator has no right to aspire to be Governor of Rivers State and the unilatetal appointment of the minister’s Lagos business partner as the preferred governorship candidate without regard to the right of other APC members to contest party primaries.
“As if that is not enough, the transport minister has forced the APC in the state to adopt the umpopular indirect primaries to achieve his narrow objective instead of the open primaries option demanded by majority of party members.
“Amaechi has brought an infested wood into his house and he is reaping the visit of lizards,” Okah added.
He said it was reckless for the Amaechi to accuse Wike of sponsoring crisis in APC unless he (minister) is not aware that he cannot beat a child and expect him not to cry.
On whether Wike has developed Rivers State or not, Okah said it was pointless arguing with a man who does not see what every one else sees; hear what others hear or feel what others feel.
He noted that Wike holds the gold medal in project execution among his peers since 2015.
“Despite Amaechi’s unsuccessful efforts to pull down the Wike administration in the State, he has refused to show what he has done for Rivers State since he became a minister in 2015,” Okah said, pointing out that Rivers people are not fooled by minister’s diversionary utterances.
