Rivers Reps Petitions Senate Over Amaechi’s Ministerial Nomination

South-South APC Backs Amaechi
MEMBERS of the Rivers State caucus in the House of Representatives yesterday rose from an emergency meeting opposing the nomination of the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi as a Minister in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

But the South-South Zone of All Progressives Congress (APC) in a related statement made available to The Guardian felt otherwise, noting that Amaechi is eminently qualified to be appointed a minister under the current dispensation.

A terse statement by the National Vice Chairman (South South) of the APC, Prince Hilliard Eta noted: ‘’Those protesting Amaechi’s nomination as minister through spurious claims and accusations are into a wild goose chase that can only lead them to a futile end.

‘’Amaechi was unjustly witchhunted and persecuted by the PDP machine in Rivers State led by Wike because of his (Amaechi’s) role in fighting down the evil machinations plotted against the good people of the state by the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.’’

The Rivers lawmakers who are thirteen in number formally submitted a petition to the office of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki urging the Senate not to approve the nomination of Amaechi.

In a letter to the Senate President dated October 6, 2015, signed by all the lawmakers, the Reps maintained that Amaechi lacks the moral rectitude to be minister based on the fact that he is yet to be cleared on a pending corruption allegations hanging on his neck.

The lawmakers particularly referred to Amaechi’s refusal to appear before the Rivers judicial panel of inquiry to investigate questionable sale of government properties as a basis of the petition.

They also argued that the former governor does not deserve to be appointed minister based on his recent utterances and actions which suggests he has no respect for the rule of law, constituted authority and democracy.

They claimed: “We the Rivers State Caucus of the House of Representatives have read with concern and utter disappointment the nomination by the President Muhammadu Buhari of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi as Rivers ministerial nominee and we deem it necessary to place on record that we vehemently protest the said nomination of Mr. Amaechi.

“We believe that the war against corruption should be complete, total and nobody with a taint of corruption should be allowed to hold public office not even on sympathy or compensatory grounds. This is the reason the country waited patiently for about four months for Mr. President to painstakingly and very meticulously choose persons that are without blemish.”

The protest letter to the Senate President was jointly signed by Betty Apiafi, Kingsley Chinda, Gogo Tamuno, Kenneth Chikere, Blessing Nsiegbe, Jacobson Nbina, Dumnamene Dekor, Awaji – Inombek Abiante, Uche Obi, Randolph Brown, Boniface Emerengwa, Jerome Eke and Boma Goodhead.