Amaechi’s criticism, a challenge – Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has admitted the
criticism by Governor Rotimi Amaechi that his
government has not done anything for the people
of Rivers State.
This, he said, was because he did not want to be
seen as an ethnic leader. Hence, his resolve to
ensure the equitable distribution of resources
across the country.
Jonathan’s wife is from Rivers State.
President Jonathan, who spoke during the
presidential rally of the Peoples Democratic Party
at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Igwuruta-
Ali, Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State,
however, promised to develop the South-South
region if elected for a second term in office.
The President was reacting to the criticism by
Amaechi, who is also the Director-General of the
All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign
Organisation, that he (Jonathan) had not done
anything for Rivers and Bayelsa states.
Describing Amaechi’s statement as a challenge,
Jonathan admitted that though he had not
allocated more development to his people, the
situation was an indication that he (Jonathan)
meant well for the country.
He pointed out that he accepted Amaechi’s
challenge, but would do “something” for the
South-South states when he is re-elected,
The President said, “What I want to tell you and the
rest of the country is that the director-general of
the APC presidential campaign organisation, when
he was in Yenagoa and when he was in Port
Harcourt, mentioned clearly that the President had
done nothing for the two states.
“Don’t worry. It is good news because people are
saying that I concentrated development in the
South-South. Bayelsa State was part of Rivers
State. Then, if I don’t concentrate development in
this state, that means there has not been
development in Rivers and Bayelsa states.
“The DG (Amaechi) is telling Nigerians that I have
not done this. That means that I am a transparent
person. I did not allocate positions to my people.
The DG would have been the very first person to
expose me to the rest of the world; not just
Nigeria. He would have taken me to America, to
South Africa, to France, to UK, but that shows
clearly that we mean well for this country.
“In our development, every part of Nigeria must be
carried along. You will agree with me that when we
looked at the university education, and we insisted
that look, the Federal Government must make sure
that all Nigerian youths must have opportunity for
university education.
“We did not divide North or South; we made sure
that all the states that had no federal university got
a federal university. I am not going to comment on
development in Rivers State and Bayelsa states. I
can reassure you that just work with us; vote for
us on February 14, for me and Sambo and on
February 28, for Wike and Ipalibo. Since we have
been challenged that we have not done anything,
we will do something.”
Earlier, the PDP governorship candidate in the
state, Chief Nyesom Wike, had expressed
confidence that the party would win the February
2015 presidential and governorship elections.
Calling on the people of the state to vote for the
PDP, Wike, who was formally presented with his
party’s flag, criticised Amaechi for his (Amaechi)
refusal to approve the application by the state PDP
for the usage of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.
In her remarked, the President’s wife, Patience,
boasted that the PDP would get over 2.4 million
votes in Rivers State, adding that such a feat
would be an improvement on the 2 million votes
won by the party in 2011.
Mrs. Jonathan said that only the PDP had done a
lot in the area of women empowerment,
maintaining that the women had been able to
manage the economy of the country.