…Condemns attack on supporter in Eleme
By: Felix Ikpotor
The immediate past senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Magnus NgeiAbe has described transportation minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as politically irrelevant because he cannot contest elections in the state.
This is even as the former lawmaker has condemned the alleged attack on one of his supporters by suspected supporters of the minister in Eleme.
Abe who spoke on Sunday during the inauguration of the Eleme local government area executives of the Rivers Voice of Freedom (RVF) said nobody has the right to stop anybody from gathering.
RVF is a socio-political pressure group in Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Senator Abe
Apparently referring to the minister, Abe said, “but the truth of the matter is that when it comes to politics of Rivers State, constitutionally, some people are more relevant than the others because if you cannot contest election you are really not that relevant and those who can contest are constitutionally more relevant than the others”.
While condemning the attack, the former Secretary to Rivers State Government said, “Yesterday, when they heard that I said I was attending the RVF inauguration here in Eleme, what was the reaction of the minister’s people? They came here; they attacked this venue last night. They poured petrol on a youngman, a lawyer trained by his parents who was here just trying to set up a banner, they poured petrol and set fire on the banner and were ready to unleash mayhem on this place because they don’t want Senator Abe to be seen and they don’t want Senator Abe to be heard. I’m happy to be in Eleme, I walked through the streets of Eleme, I was born here, and I am a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He noted that when Amaechi Vanguard, a group loyal to the minister was inaugurated nobody attacked them, wondering why his supporters were attacked.
“When Amaechi Vanguard was launched in Rivers State, where was it launched? It was launched in my village, did anybody attack anybody? Did anybody set anybody on fire? I’m taking RVF anywhere they want to go to,” he said.
Abe used the medium to urge party faithful in the state not to be deterred by the state of politics in the party and state as the national leadership has promised to address the situation.
“They have heard us; they issued a statement that they will come here to do revalidation and registration which was not properly done. They issued a statement that they will address the challenges of this party in Rivers State. They have given that commitment and we are prepared to abide by that commitment and wait for what the national would say”.
He charged the group to be focused and to talk to Rivers people to support their course.
Also speaking, a former Chief of Staff to Rivers State Government, Chief Tony Okocha lamented the inability of the party to field candidates in the 2019 general elections which he said is one of the things the group is fighting against.
“RVF is a group that is canvassing for freedom of choice, decorum, free and fair elections in Rivers State and so when we see a group is as noble as that we identified with them,” he said.
Okocha added: “The event is also an opportunity to tell the world that we are still very active members of the APC in the state. Looking at 2019 you would know exactly why this group came especially where a party as strong and as solid as APC was unable to field candidates for elections because one man deciding on whom should be what and so where did we end? At the end of the day, APC as a party was worse-off for it. We couldn’t field candidates, not even a member of House of Assembly, not even a local government chairman, not a councilor, in a state that APC is very strong. So when you hear people who have this kind of ideology you necessarily identify with them”.
Earlier, President-General of RVF, Comr Dominic Dumekpigi said the group is a socio-political pressure group that is out to emancipate the people that have been denied politically by actions of some leaders of the party.
He noted that: “In 2019, some leaders of our party and our state were denied from testing their popularity in the political space and as youths desirous of change, as youths desirous of great things in our state, as youths desirous of making our own contribution in the emancipation of our state and repositioning the state to the level it ought to be , we identified with the Most Disguished Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, our patron whom we see as man with absolute sincerity, A man who has the crowd, a man with the capability. We have, seen him, we have tested him before and he did not fail us and today we have gone round to the local government areas of the state to inaugurate RVF to support his struggle for emancipation. We are tired of a system whereby one man sits down at the corner of his to decide who becomes what and I’m home gets what. This is not a parochial system of government, this is a democracy and as a pressure group, we stand firm to defend the rights of the people by supporting a man who have the people at heart and that is the reason Rivers Voice of Freedom has come to stay.
Together we will fight this course, together we will defend this struggle”.
Dumekpigi charged the LGA EXCO to go to their wards and units and mobilize for Senator Abe.
On his part, chairman of the occasion and one of the APC leaders in the area, Honourable David Osaloka commended RVF for taking up the course for freedom. He noted that Rivers State requires someone who is mentally and physically fit to rule it.
Osaloka said youths of the state are yearning for a government that will be inclusive, stressing that Senator Abe has the sagacity and wisdom to win any election in the state and further described him as a game changer in Rivers politics.
