Ogoni UNEP Report is One Reason I Left PDP - Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi has
declared that failure of the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) led Federal government to implement
the United Nations Environmental Protection
Agency (UNEP) report on Ogoniland was part of
the reasons why he left the party.
Amaechi spoke on Sunday at the thanksgiving
celebration of former Council Chairman of Khana
Local Government Area, Gregory Nwidam at St.
Dominic’s Catholic Church, Bane.
Amaechi said the PDP led Federal Government
lack the political will to implement the UNEP
report to make the environment habitable for the
people of Ogoni, including the provision of water
and other infrastructural development.
“After the verification and recommendation by the
Agency to the Federal Government, they have
refused to release the sum of One million dollars
for the clean-up and development of the area. As
I am talking to you today, the Federal Government
is doing nothing about the UNEP report. One
million dollars is about 160 billion naira, but the
Federal Government has been spending billions in
other places. But, you need to ask yourselves one
question, what did Ogoni do against the federal
government that they cannot release 160 billion
naira to save your environment. That is the
reason I left PDP for APC, because, our interest is
not protected in PDP. So, when they cannot give
the people of Ogoni 160 billion naira, which is not
even enough for their kids to travel around
America and London, if they cannot give to Ogoni
people, why should you vote them?” he said.
“What you should do is to punish them with your
votes by voting them out in 2015. When you vote,
you are not fighting for me, you are fighting for
yourselves because, I have served as a Speaker
for 8 years and also Governor for 8 years, what I
need from God is long life. You need to fight for
yourselves and save Rivers State as well,”
Amaechi said.
The governor urged the people of Khana and all
Rivers people to register and identify with the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in order to vote out
the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the 2015
general elections.
“Let me assure you that APC will win in 2015 in
Rivers State. You owe me a duty to get registered
with APC. Go and register during the voters’
registration and get your voters card. I want to
thank the people of Bane community and Khana
people for their support, especially the celebrant,
Hon. Gregory Nwidam for his promise that the
people of Khana LGA will ensure APC wins in
Rivers State in 2015,” Amaechi said.
Amaechi also advised supporters of the APC in
the State to resist any attempt by the PDP to use
police and the military to intimidate and
manipulate the 2015 elections against the will of
the electorates.
“The PDP said they will bring Police and Army.
Let them bring them, but, you should know that
they are also human beings. On that day of the
election, I will be at the front. There is nothing
police will shoot that I have not inhaled before.
There is no cell that they have not locked me up
as a student leader. There is no amount of
slapping and beating I have not passed through
in those days. There is nothing new that the
Federal Government has not done to me. So, I
want to prepare you the APC for that day. When
you vote, seat down at the polling unit and let
them count the votes and announce the results,
so that they won’t rig us out. Don’t vote for PDP.
For me, politics is not about my brother or my
father, politics is about me and my interest. So, it
is about you and your interest,” He said.
Amaechi noted that his administration has built
link roads, Model Primary and Secondary Schools
as well as Health Centres to improve Ogoni land
and other ethnic groups in the State in contrast
to the Federal Government.
He said, “What has Federal Government done for
the people of Ogoni. If I have not done anything, I
have built Roads, Primary and Secondary Schools
as well as Health Centres in Ogoni land. There
are two areas I have focused since I became
governor, Ogoni and Etche Local Government
areas. I have also taken development to other
parts of the State. In Ogoni, I started with rural
road construction including agricultural
investment to employ Ogoni people. So, when
former Senator Lee Maebe said, are Ogoni people
monkeys? I asked him to go back to school. This
is because, the reason for establishing that farm
in Tai LGA, even after we paid the owners of the
land, was to create employment opportunities for
the Ogoni people who work and get their daily
living from that source. That farm is 2,000
hectares of land while the one we got from Etche
was 5,000 hectares of land. This is a way of
improving the living standard of the people in
these areas. And, until I leave office, I will
continue to drive development in the state.”
The governor said soon, he will address the
people of the State on the on recent state of
Federal allocations to the State.
“I will address the State in the next one week or
more to tell them about the consistent shortfall of
our allocations from the Federal Government.
Even though the Federal Government said it is oil
theft. We have lost almost half of our revenue.
We don’t have enough money to run our
government, and we need funds to be able to
govern the state. But, let me assure you that we
will continue to raise money to complete our
projects,” Amaechi said.
Earlier, Hon. Gregory Bariledum Nwidam and the
Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial
District, Sen. Magnus Abe had promised Governor
Amaechi, that the people of Bane Community and
Khana Local Government Area were ready to
massively vote for the All Progressives Congress
in the 2015 general elections.
Press Unit
Government House, PH.
July 14, 2014