Rivers Political Crisis Deepens in Nigeria

Nigerian Interim President Goodluck Jonathan of the Niger Delta has been selected by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to run for national office in the upcoming elections., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Rivers’ political crisis deepens

THURSDAY, 16 MAY 2013 00:00
FROM KELVIN EBIRI (PORT HARCOURT) AND WOLE SHADARE (LAGOS)
Nigerian Guardian

• Police orderly, escort withdrawn from Speaker, Amaechi’s COS

• ‘Governor’s security aides may go soon’

• Minister, firm deny role in grounding of Rivers’ plane

A FRESH dimension in the political crisis rocking Rivers State began Thursday as the police withdrew security aides of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan Amachree and the Chief of Staff (COS) to the Governor, Tony Okocha.

The withdrawal came after the murder of an aide (Mr. Eric Ezenekwe) to the court-deposed state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Godspower Ake. The police have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder.

Besides, Caverton Helicopters Thursday denied that it was pressured by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to disown the Rivers State government over the controversial Bombardier Global Express 5000 with registration number N565RS . It insisted that the clearance obtained with its name to operate the aircraft in the country was forged.

Amachree who on Tuesday in an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan raised the alarm on a purported plot to withdraw security personnel attached to government officials and to pave the way for the assassination of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, himself and other legislators, accused the State Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, of unceremoniously withdrawing the orderly and escort attached to him.

The speaker said the gradual withdrawal of security personnel attached to government officials was aimed at making them susceptible to possible attacks from assailants.

He had alleged that there was a plan to release from detention, 18 notorious robbery and kidnap kingpins in custody to carry out the alleged planned attacks on the government officials and innocent residents of the state.

Amachree said: “Sequel to my letter to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, Commander-in-Chief, Nigerian Armed Forces of plans by some persons to unleash mayhem in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mbu Joseph Mbu, has unceremoniously withdrawn the police orderly and escort attached to me.

“Recall that I have earlier expressed my fears about plans to withdraw security operatives from the governor and top officials of the Rivers State Government, including me, making us vulnerable to attacks by hoodlums. Now my fears are made worse by the recent murder of an aide to Chief G. U. Ake, Mr Eric Ezenekwe, at his home town in Erema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. On this premise, I still stand on my earlier call for the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mr Mbu Joseph Mbu.”

The development came amid fears that security aides of Amaechi will be withdrawn any moment from now, with sources saying that, barring any last- minute change of plans, the withdrawal could take place as early as this weekend. .

Those to be withdrawn include the policemen, soldiers and men of the State Security Service (SSS) attached to Amaechi who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

The plot is reportedly to first withdraw the police details attached to the governor, including his orderly and Aide de Camp (ADC). The source added: “When the governor and his people raise the alarm, the police would quickly try to defend the withdrawal as routine redeployment of officers and men. And that new policemen will be posted to the governor.”

The speaker had on April 30, 2013 raised the alarm on the collapse of the security apparatus in the state to orchestrate a breakdown of law and order that would pave the way to a declaration of a state of emergency by some politicians in connivance with the police. He had also cited the invasion of the House of Assembly which is directly adjacent to the Police Headquarters on Moscow on the May 6, 2013, by irate youths demanding the reinstatement of the suspended chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Council, Timothy Nsirim.

A source at the Government House who pleaded anonymity disclosed to The Guardian that the head of the policemen attached to Okocha approached him yesterday morning and disclosed that he and his team had been directed to return to the police headquarters.

The source said government officials in Rivers State were yet to recover from the shock over the denial of transactions by top management of Caverton Helicopters on the importation of the controversial Bombardier Global 700 Jet by the state government, and now further pressure was being mounted on them through the withdrawal of security personnel attached to them.

He explained that the police had earlier withdrawn the orderly attached to the Okrika Local Government Chairman, Tamuno Williams.

But the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, who had initially told The Guardian that she was not aware of the withdrawal of the policemen attached to the speaker and the COS, said their claims were not true.

The Rivers State government maintained that Caverton handled its aircraft until the plane was grounded by the aviation agency, claiming that all the plane’s documents were genuine and up to date.

But Caverton said it initially wanted to import and manage the aircraft on behalf of the Rivers State government into the country in August 2012 but this did not fall though as ACCAS, the company that was bringing the aircraft terminated the deal midway.

“So it is strange that Rivers is now saying pressure was put on Caverton Helicopters to disown them in late April 2013, when both parties had agreed in February 2013 that it was Rivers that was operating the aircraft. Nothing could be farther from the truth,” a Caverton official told reporters.

A statement issued by the Minister of Aviation, Stella Odua-Ogiewonyi yesterday signed by the Special Adviser (Media), Joe Obi, said: “The point to note here is that there are three major issues in contention here. The first is the question of the true ownership of the aircraft while the second and more serious one is the question of operating with falsified clearances dubiously collected in the name of Caverton Helicopters. The third relates to why the aircraft was still operating in the country even when the false clearances had expired.”