Rivers State
Governor and
Director General of
the presidential
campaign
committee of the
All Progressives
Congress (APC),
Rotimi Amaechi,
on Thursday in
Yenagoa, lashed
out at President
Goodluck
Jonathan, insisting
that he had failed
the people of the
state.
Amaechi at the
rally held in the
Samson Siasia
Sports Complex,
Yenagoa,
witnessed by a
large crowd of
Bayelsans from all
works of life,
stated that
charity should
ordinarily begin at
home, hence the
president should
tell the people
what he has done
for the state in
the last six years
that he has been
president of the
country.
He lamented that
even the
president
homestead,
Otuoke, lacks
power supply, he
therefore asked:
“If they say it is
because the
president is
quarrelling with
the Governor of
Rivers State that
is why he refused
to develop Rivers;
is he also
quarrelling with
Dickson? So, why
has he not
developed
Bayelsa?”
Ameachi said in
2011, Jonathan
was voted on
brotherly
platform, but in
2015, voting
would be by
merit, even as he
indicted the
Jonathan-led
government of
misappropriating
state fund to
enrich his cronies
who are now
flying private jets
at the expense of
developing the
entire country.
He regretted that
since Jonathan
became president,
nothing changed in
Bayelsa and Rivers
States, even as
he noted that it
could be
understood that
he has a cold war
with the
President, but
asked if he (the
president) is also
quarrelling with
the Bayelsa State
Governor Seriake
Dickson.
Earlier, former
governor of
Baylsa State,
Chief Timipre
Sylva, showed
that he was still
popular with the
people when he
was welcomed
with a rousing
roar by the people.
Although the who
is who of Bayelsa
State political
leadership were
visibly absent, the
mammoth crowd
of mostly youths
and women who
came to welcome
the Muhammadu
Buhari campaign
train was
unexpected given
that Bayelsa is
the home state
of President
Goodluck
Jonathan.
In his speech,
Sylva told the
people that a
good friend is
better than a bad
brother.
He reiterated that
political leaders
from the North
have proven their
friendship in the
past and are
therefore more
worthy than a
brother who has
done nothing for
his own people.
Sylva said
Bayelsans are
known to lead the
way against
oppression and
inept leadership
style displayed
the PDP-led
government at
the centre, even
as he noted that
having traversed
the six geopolitical
zones of the
country, no other
person is more
competent to lead
Nigeria than
Buhari.
The former
governor who
was presented
the APC flag as
the party’s
candidate for
Bayelsa East
senatorial seat,
urged the people
of the state to
vote rightly by
voting Buhari as
president
because, he has
all it takes to
bring prosperity to
their doorsteps.
Speaking later,
the APC
presidential
candidate, General
Muhammadu
Buhari, reassured
Nigerians that if
voted into office,
he would proffer
solution to the
nation’s security
and economic
challenges that
have continued to
slowpoke the
growth and
development of
the country.
This, he noted, is
the bane of the
nation’s growth,
hence, this would
be his priority
when he takes
office.
Buhari, who
described Bayelsa
as the cow that
produces the milk,
regretted that
the state was
yearning for
development
having been
neglected by its
own son, as
situation that has
resulted in the
pollution of
farmlands, source
of water and
other economic
reserves; even as
he assured that
the pollution in the
land would be
cleared as soon as
he assumes
office as
president of
Nigeria.
The APC
presidential
candidate said
further that under
his leadership,
agriculture would
be revamped to
provide jobs for
the youths, as
well
as food security,
while capital
would be provided
for able-bodied
young
men to enable
them become
entrepreneurs.
On power, he
decried the
corruption
allegedly inherent
in the system
despite the
privatisation of
the sector by the
PDP-led
government at
the centre, noting
that power is a
key ingredient for
industrialisation.
He posited that
corruption would
be dealt with, and
that anyone who
steals from the
nation’s coffers
would be made to
return it, even as
he enjoined
Bayelsans not to
allow PDP to rule a
day longer in
office.
