RIVERS CRISIS: What Amaechi told Jonathan

Amaechi met President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Port Harcourt International airport today

There have been media speculations on what was the actual discussion between President Goodluck Jonathan and the embattled Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, but an impeccable source revealed what Amaechi actually told Jonathan.

“What he told the President was that he was not fighting for himself and that there were other governors who were angry over the way he (Amaechi) was being humiliated and harassed by forces close to the Presidency for no just cause.

Governor Amaechi told the President that there were indeed 10 governors who were so upset that they were ready to quit the PDP because of the persistent attacks on him and his administration,” the governor said.

Amaechi was said to have assured the President that he was ready to support him and work for him if the other governors, who were aggrieved over his treatment in the hands of government agencies, decide to work with Jonathan. President Jonathan was said to have been taken aback by the decision of the 10 governors to dump PDP, when five northern governors, who met him a day after Amaechi’s meeting with him, repeated what the governor had told him.

One of the governors, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that they were ready to meet the President again before taking a final decision on whether to leave the party for the opposition or float their own party.

Asked to comment on what the grievances of the group were, the governor said they were angry over attempts by the Presidency to weaken the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, since Amaechi courageously contested and won the last election by defeating Governor David Jang of Plateau State by 19 votes to 16 votes.

The governor said they were also opposed to the move by the Presidency to cause unnecessary chaos in Rivers State so as to drive away the elected governor because of his unsubstantiated political ambition.