Amaechi Asks Ogonis To Engage Themeselves In Fasting For Federal Govt To Release N170bn

Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, yesterday, called on the Ogoni people to declare one- day fasting for God to make the Federal Government to release one billion dollars (N170 billion) from the 49.8 billion dollars allegedly missing for the implementation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Report on Ogoni.
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The governor, who spoke in Bori, Khana local government area during the inauguration of the local government executive of Save Rivers Movement, a pro-All Progressive Congress (APC) group, flayed the delay on the part of the Federal Government to release the money for the clean up of oil pollution in Ogoni land.
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”UNEP finished all they did. They said ‘spend one billion dollars to clean up Ogoni’. Have you seen the one billion dollars? Without the UNEP Report, you cannot fish, you cannot farm. 49.8 billion dollars is missing. If they say it is not true, let them tell us where it is. They should bring one billion dollars from the 49.8 billion dollars to do UNEP” , he said.
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Amaechi thanked the Inspector General of Police for providing tight security for the rally which could not hold, last week, because some hoodlums came shooting sporadically to scare the organisers. But the governor lashed out at the state police commissioner, Mr Joseph Mbu, over alleged abuse of federal might, describing his political foes in the state as hungry politicians.
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According to him, their target was to plunder the state’s resources. “They are thieves, corrupt people who say they want to serve you. They have a problem, stomach infrastructure problem”, he said.
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While urging his supporters not to take the law into their hands, Amaechi urged them to ensure they got their voter’s cards, adding that they should also be part of the APC membership registration exercise billed to commence in February. “I don’t want you to take the law into your hands. But make sure nobody shoots at you.
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If a man slaps you and gets away with it, he will come back tomorrow. Go to INEC for your voter’s card. It is the weapon you have to vote out bad government”, he said.
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The governor also said he was apologising to the gathering on behalf of the police for the rally which was aborted, last Sunday, by suspected hoodlums in Bori even as he spoke on some of the successes his administration had recorded in Ogoni land.
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Some members of the National Assembly, commissioners in the state and local government Chairmen were present. Some of them who spoke drummed up support for the APC.
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There was heavy presence of security men in the community. Vehicles were not allowed about hundred meters to the venue of the event. The anti- bomb disposal unit of the police was on ground.
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Community sources told Sunday Vanguard that some hoodlums still shot sporadically in the early hours of the day, a situation that forced some residents to flee the community.” Some people ran to Port Harcourt after they heard gun shots early morning.
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They feared that there might be a clash between them (bad boys) and the organisers”, one of the sources said.
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Most stores on Hospital Road that leads to the venue of the program were locked up. It could not be confirmed if it was in compliance with a directive from security men or if the owners were among those who ran to Port Harcourt fearing there could be crisis.