Chidi Samuel || The Minister of Transportation and former governor of oil rich Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday said that he was able to fight against cultists, kidnappers and others masquerading as militants because he never hobnobbed with criminals.
Amaechi made the disclosure spoke in an online broadcast to the people of Rivers.
According to him, Rivers State enjoyed peace until the months leading to the 2015 general election, stating that
he did not appoint any criminal into political office or crown them king.
Amaechi said, “Let no one deceive you with a twisted narrative on the origins, causes, and solutions to the bloodbath in Rivers State. Most of you can attest to how I battled and tackled insecurity when I served as your governor.
“I led the fight against the cultists, gangs, thugs, and criminals masquerading as militants; they were driven out from hiding, many fled the state. I was able to do that because I was never in bed with the criminals; I never appointed any into political office or crowned any king.
“The administration I led was able to return the State to serenity from the horrible state of insecurity and violence we met when we took over. Rivers people enjoyed peace until the months leading up to the 2015 general elections when these ‘new’ men of power in the state introduced unprecedented violence and killings in the state.”
The minister stated that the uninspiring response of the state government to the recent killings in Omokun was enough for the people of the state to speak up against the insecurity in the state.
He continued, “In the early hours of New Year’s Day, defenceless residents of Omoku were gruesomely attacked and murdered on their way home from the New Year crossover night church service. 23 men, women and children were murdered in the attack. In the first couple of days of this New Year, people have also been murdered in Andoni and Egbeda.
“Some 48 hours after the Omoku massacre, the response of the governor and Government of Rivers State whose primary responsibility is to protect you from these kinds of attacks was gabble blather about a N200 million bounty and to launch another round of attacks on me because I politely advised them to protect Rivers people or resign from office.