Amaechi Explains Why He Joined APC

Speaking with the press at the Port Harcourt International Airport shortly on arrival from Abuja, yesterday, Rivers state Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors' Forum, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi listed his reasons for joining the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since Rivers state has suffered from "neglect under the Jonathan administration," Mr. Amaechi explained, he decided to join forces with the APC to "protect Rivers people".

"Yes, we have joined APC after the meeting we had with Buhari, Tinubu and the interim Chairman of APC," Amaechi confirmed. "The governors met on Monday and decided that we must meet with the APC leadership and when we met with the APC leadership, it was important we took a position and the position we took is for the good of our democracy and ensure that Nigeria moves forward. We can’t continue the way we are, where we are. "The picture painted by the PDP was as if we were begging to come back to PDP and issues were not being looked into, issues were not being resolved and it’s important that we resolve it one way or the other. "I think that what has happened is that what was then new PDP decided that it’s important that we move into APC and position ourselves for the next election. "Rivers State must know that for me to have taken that decision, I had looked at the general interests of Rivers people. I was not elected to lead Nigeria, I was elected to lead Rivers State, and I had looked at the interests of Rivers people and have seen that these interests were not protected in PDP. "I have seen the fact that we are losing our oil wells in Etche, in the Kalabari areas and that the more they continue to pilfer these oil wells, the more we will continue to lose our wealth," the Governor maintained. Covering the question of his relationship with President Jonathan, he said he still holds him in high esteem and has no personal quarrels with him. "The President and I have no personal quarrel, it's important we put that in perspective. "All the issues were issues that affect Rivers people, were issues that affect Nigerians and I am a Nigerian, I have to address those issues… he is my President and I respect him. I respect his office, respect him as a person, respect the fact that he’s older but then as elected governor of Rivers State, I have the responsibility to lead Rivers State. "If you look at what is going on, the Federal Government is not able to fund the states anymore. They say oil theft but oil theft is not enough reason for which we cannot fund ourselves." The Governor further drew attention to the Port Harcourt International Airport, which the Federal Government has long abandoned because of its inability to fund the project. Then he went on describing his administration's achievements in the state. "As per development in Rivers State, we are about to commission about 300 primary schools, we are about to commission another 70 health centres to add to the 60 we commissioned before. "We are about to commission the Kelsey Harrison hospital at Emenike Street, there is a new one inside Rivers State University of Science and Technology Campus. There is a partnership between us and NDDC for which we have paid NDDC about N960 million for the mother and child hospital and NDDC is expected to bring about N900 million to make it N1.8 billion for the hospital. The stadium is about to be completed, so development is actually going on. "We are working," the Governor assured.