The presidency has described Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s statements about President Goodluck Jonathan, the First Lady and the Federal Government as false and baseless, saying it is a reckless bid to advance his selfish political interests to a new level of irresponsible and rascally behaviour.
In a press release signed by Reuben Abati, the presidential aide on media and publicity, the presidency said the false statements credited to Amaechi betrays that he has totally lost all sense of propriety, decorum and responsible political behaviour and resorted to unacceptable demagoguery, libel, blackmail and incitement of public disorder.
Abati said: “Unless his unbridled ambition and desire for self- promotion have completely befuddled his mental faculties and caused him to totally lose touch with reality, Governor Amaechi must know that his claims and allegations are untrue.
“We can only assume therefore that he is deliberately spewing malicious falsehood in a desperate effort to incite the people of Rivers State and Nigeria against his assumed political foes.
“We warn him that there are legal, constitutional and moral limits to political rascality beyond which he will not be allowed to go without repercussions.
“The immunity which he currently enjoys notwithstanding, Governor Amaechi should be under no illusions: A day of reckoning will surely come when he will answer for all his actions and false allegations against President Jonathan, the First Lady and the Federal Government.”
The presidency further added that Amaechi should know that Nigerians are aware of the truth and will never be fooled or swayed by his arrant opportunism and anti-Jonathan rantings.
“Nigerians know that while Mr. Amaechi falsely accuses others of corruption, he cannot show or explain to the people of Rivers State what he has done with the billions of Naira that has accrued to the state under his tenure,” Abati said in the statement.
“They also know that while Amaechi continues to falsely accuse the Jonathan Administration of having done nothing for Rivers State, he has recklessly squandered huge state resources on dubious, vain-glorious projects or self aggrandizement.
“Nigerians will know too that while he falsely alleges that Rivers and other states have not received funds due to them from the Federation account, the only outstanding allocation was for September, which was released to all states well over a week ago.”
He warned Amaechi to stop trying to make Jonathan the scapegoat for his woeful performance in Rivers State, advising him to look to his own very apparent failings and incompetence.
“He should also stop blackmailing the First Lady who has demanded nothing from him other than good governance, justice, equity, fairness, real development and progress in Rivers State,” Abati Stated.
