The declaration of an “Ogoni self-government” by Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People [MOSOP] factional leader Dr. Goodluck Diigbo as well as last Monday’s threat of war by Niger Delta militant leader Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo should be ignored by all Nigerians because they do not represent the views of their people, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State said in Abuja yesterday.
He spoke when a Media Trust Limited team led by the managing director Alhaji Isiaq Ajibola paid him a visit at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge.
Asked about the threat by Asari Dokubo to cut off the North from oil and food supplies if the current insecurity problem in the country degenerates into a war, Amaechi said, “War? Between who and who? Why are you taking it seriously? Didn’t Boko Haram threaten a similar thing? I don’t think whoever witnessed the Civil War will like to go back to another civil war. Or if you see what is happening in Syria, do you want it to happen here?
“When I say ignore Asari, it is not to undermine his importance. Who are the people that will die in a war? I may be among the first to fly out to Ghana [laughter], so it is the poor that will die. Anything whatsoever that is a challenge in Nigeria can be resolved on the table. What we should encourage is dialogue and the need for everybody to see reason on issues.”
Asked about weekend’s declaration of “Ogoni self-government” by Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, Amaechi said, “The man has no followership at all. No support! MOSOP came up with a statement and said they never agreed on that so why do you want to give that man prominence? The moment you publish it in the newspaper, he becomes a prominent man and they will say you are witch-hunting him because he declared his own nation.
“We advised the Federal Government too to ignore him. Rivers State government also did not make a statement and I did not even call a Security Council meeting to discuss that issue. Everybody who wants to get some amnesty money will just threaten war and some of you will become afraid. I don’t think Diigbo is an issue. Some people even called me and said they were sympathizing with me, that how am I am managing this? And I said managing what?”
Governor Amaechi also spoke about the recent controversy over state police, which was said to have been agreed to by the Nigeria Governors Forum [NGF] before the Northern Governors Forum later opted out and criticized the idea.
He said, “Constitutional amendments will be discussed at the next meeting of the Governors Forum, so why not wait until then? Everybody must come to terms with one fact, that no one group can amend the constitution without the others. Whether it is Southern Governors, Northern Governors or South South Governors, you cannot amend the constitution without securing an agreement from the others because you need 24 states to amend the constitution.” He said only national interest will be taken into consideration when the governors meet to discuss the issue.
Asked if Rivers State needs a state police force when it has about 11,000 Nigeria Policemen right now, Amaechi said, “Rivers State has 5.6m people. Are 11,000 policemen enough for Rivers State?
“I was told that as chairman of NGF I should not have a view on this matter since it will be the center of discussion at the next meeting. But those opposed to state police, why are you opposed to it?
“We didn’t say police should be entirely in the hands of governors. We said create jurisdictions for each to handle. Those who support state police say after amending the constitution, make a law on what they can do, such crimes as robbery, murder, kidnapping etc. Let them not deal with election, right?
“A whole country like Nigeria has no forensic lab. Is it not shameful? You have no data of criminals. The argument of those who are in support of state police is that the law should be simple; those states with capacity to establish state police should be allowed to.
“I don’t know where I stand in the matter now [laughter]. How can an economy be productive when crime overrides other factors of production? If you take away some funds from the Federal Government and give to the Kano State governor, he will be able to set up a local police that is known to Kano people.”
Source: All Africa
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