Davidson Iriekpen
Rivers State Government yesterday said no matter how much he tries, the Minister of Transportation, Hon Chibuike Amaechi, cannot exonerate himself from the killings in the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
It added that blood of the innocent people of the state who died during the elections are in the hands of Amaechi.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, said this in a statement in reaction to the post-election media briefing by minister in Abuja.
Okah alleged that Amaechi as a purveyor of violence since 2015, has not been able to win one single election without resort to violence and use of security agencies.
He added that anytime he moves around in the state, it is usually with a long convoy of soldiers.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the arrest of Amaechi for sponsoring the violence and killing of Rivers people during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
He said the President Buhari witnessed the threat by the minister and urged him to act in the interest of the people state.
“Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry that right in the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari during the APC presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Amaechi threatened violence in order to ensure the presidential election of February 23, 2019 is won his party.
“Amaechi made good his threat on Saturday, February 23, 2019 when he worked with compromised security agencies and hired armed thugs to unleash violence on Rivers State. In the process, the minister’s game plan caused the death of over 30 persons.
“These killings were confirmed by INEC Electoral Officers who indicted soldiers and the APC for the violence and snatching of electoral materials during the presidential and National Assembly elections. Amaechi should be held to account for these crimes against Rivers people.”
Okah further alleged that it was unfortunate that the minister who has sponsored the killing of Rivers people during the presidential and National Assembly elections would rush to Abuja to lie against Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike who promotes peaceful electioneering and insists that the votes of the people must count.
“After sponsoring the killing Rivers people, especially PDP members, Amaechi is struggling to divert attention of the public by claiming that those killed are members of the APC. This is a known trick of the failed minister. Each time he orders the deaths of Rivers people, he rushes to Abuja to lie.
“The killings by security agencies during the last presidential and National Assembly elections are similar to the killings that they orchestrated during the rerun elections. Amaechi is involved in the promotion of politics of violence simply because the APC is not on ground in Rivers State and the party cannot win a free and fair elections in the state.
“It is unfortunate that after killing Rivers people to promote APC during the last presidential and National Assembly elections, Amaechi plans to make political capital from the deaths. This is shameful and must be condemned.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Wike is a man of peace. A promoter of peaceful and credible elections who insists that the votes of Rivers people must count. The people of Rivers State will never allow the minister to rig elections in the state. The votes of the people must count.”
