By:Felix Ikpotor
Some elders in Rivers State have accused Governor Nyesom Wike and the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, of causing the state “ great pains.”
They noted that the lingering political conflict between this two Rivers sons is responsible for the insecurity and setbacks in the state.
The elders after a meeting over the weekend in Port Harcourt, under the aegis of Rivers Elders’ and Leaders Council, said they will confront Wike and Amaechi to realise the collateral damage caused to the state by their disagreement.
Convener of the meeting, Chief Albert Horsfall, said, “The state was born before some of these people were born and people sacrificed their lives to give birth to Rivers.
“The state functioned, made progress before they cut their leadership teeth.
“We can’t have some young combatants coming to sabotage all the efforts of Rivers heroes past. We can’t live with peoples’ heads being cut off so the world can say Rivers is unsafe.”
Also speaking, Dr. Kalada Iruenabere, who drew attention of the elders’ forum to the matter, told them that, “The trouble and wave of fear in Rivers at the moment is not of upland-riverine dichotomy.
“It is caused by the fight between two brothers from same stock, one at the federal, the other holding sway in the state.
“Because they are not working together, youths gang up under their cover to cut off people’s heads, displace communities and when they are not doing these, they are robbing and kidnapping people.
“Piracy is driving people away. We now go to Lagos to buy trawler fish because the criminals have driven them away from our waters.
“The two men and their allies have brought much pain to Rivers. We must bring both Wike and Amaechi together to stop the menace.”
Wike and Amaechi have been sworn political enemies since the early part 2014 when the governor signified his interest to govern the state.
