• Oshiomhole’s helicopter barred

The travails of Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi continued yesterday, as soldiers waylaid and ambushed him in Ondo State, on his way to Ado-Ekiti to attend the final rally of Governor Kayode Fayemi, ahead of Ekiti State governorship election tomorrow.

Also, the helicopter chartered to fly Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole to Ado Ekiti was yesterday grounded by the military.

This is coming barely 24 hours after a plot to impeach Governor Amaechi by six lawmakers in Rivers State House of Assembly was exposed.

Amaechi’s aircraft landed at the Akure Airport, from where he joined his convoy for the road journey to Ado-Ekiti. He was stopped by soldiers on Akure/Ekiti Road, who prevented him from entering Ekiti State.

It was gathered that Amaechi had turned back, to return to Akure, when the soldiers chased after his convoy and intercepted it. The governor later drove himself to Lagos when it was obvious the soldiers would not let him proceed on his journey to Ado-Ekiti.

Governor Amaechi first raised the alarm about the incident yesterday when he sent out what could pass for Save Our Soul (SOS) text message, saying: “Waylaid by soldiers on Akure/Ekiti Road. Threatening to shoot me. Chased me to a village called Olorunsogo Ilado in Ondo State. They have allowed the Minister of State for Defence and Minister of Police to go through.”

Explaining what happened, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, in a statement, wondered why Governor Amaechi would be so treated despite the fact that he enjoys immunity, while expressing fear over his safety.

Semenitari stated: “Governor Amaechi, as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and as All Progressives Congress (APC) governor and chieftain, had left Port Harcourt this morning (yesterday) for Ekiti State, where he was to join his brother governor in his last mega rally before the elections.

“Governor Amaechi was ambushed and refused entry into Ekiti by military personnel acting on orders from above. He made to turn back and return to Akure, where his chartered aircraft was parked, but was chased and rounded by armed soldiers and security personnel in Odudu, Ondo State. According to the captain, who led the operation, he had orders not to allow the governor entry or exit.”

The commissioner stated that Amaechi “is right now being held hostage commando style by soldiers and Federal Government security agents in Odudu, Ondo State,” adding: “In the meantime, the chartered aircraft that conveyed the governor has been grounded while the Ministers of Defence, Police Affairs and Minister of State for Defence have landed at the Akure Airport.

“The Rivers State Government is especially worried that the Federal Government and President Jonathan have singled out Governor Amaechi for harassment and attack. While we hold the person and Office of the President in utmost regards, we believe that it is unacceptable that the Presidency would disrespect the person and office of an elected governor of a federating unit and consistently hound him.

“The Rivers State Government is all more worried, as the Ondo saga is coming on the heels of a plot by six Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers this morning (yesterday) to carry out a kangaroo impeachment of the duly-elected governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, first at Krisdara Hotels and later, Bauchi Street, Port Harcourt.”

On the purported plot to impeach the governor, the statement said: “Ordinarily, such banality should be ignored, as it is neither legal nor constitutional. However, in the light of the recent attempts to foist a Chief Judge on Rivers people through the back door and the attendant rumours that the reason for that desperate act was to make it easier for the PDP to actualise its sinister daydream of ousting Governor Amaechi before May 29, 2015, we believe that it has become necessary to draw the attention of Rivers people, Nigerians and the international community to the situation in Rivers State.

“We call on the security agencies to exhibit professionalism in their conduct of affairs. We appeal to all well-meaning people in Nigeria and around the world to please call the PDP to order before they truncate our democracy.”

Yesterday, the media had a reported a plot by lawmakers to impeach Amaechi.

According to the report, six members of the House of Assembly, who are PDP members, plan to convene a sitting of the House of Assembly, with Evans Bipi presiding as the Speaker.

At that sitting, the report stated, one of the lawmakers would move a motion for the suspension of the other 25 APC members, after which they would proceed with impeachment proceeding against Governor Amaechi.

In a related development, the helicopter chartered to fly Governor Oshiomhole from Benin Airport to Ado-Ekiti, was yesterday grounded.

Revealing this yesterday, Oshiomhole’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, said the helicopter was prevented from flying.

He stated that the Commander of the 81 Air Maritime Group, Benin City, Air Commodore Soji Awomodu, had instructed that no private jet or helicopter should fly out of Benin City.

Okhiria lamented: “The governor, who was billed to attend a mass rally organised to round off the re-election campaigns of the governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was left stranded at the Benin Airport for two hours before Air Commodore Awomodu delivered the message ‘from above.’

Also confirming the incident, Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Prince Kassim Afegbua, described it as strange.


Source: Sun