Birds of Same Feather
Published: 29 May 2013 By Abiodun Giwa
Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of oil rich Rivers State of Nigeria has announced that he is a victim of witch-hunt from the country’s presidency and the party he belongs, the people Democratic Party. This, he says, is because he has expressed opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan’s wish for another term in office. He has raised an alarm over his safety and has asked people to pray for him.
President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi are members of the same party- the People Democratic – that has majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The president’s wife - Dame Jonathan - hails from the same state as Amaechi. Instead of the governor and the president’s wife to agree for the benefit of their party, both claim superiority and that has affected the relationship between the president and the governor. Consequently, the governor who also has been the chairman of the country’s Governors Forum turns into equity seeker against the president, the presidency and his party.
In seeking equity, Amaechi has forgotten that there is a need to come with clean hands and lacks the knowledge that the presidency and his party know what to do to cut him to size from what has become his over blown sense of importance as chairman of the Nigeria's Governors Forum. Papers for the aircraft he bought for the Rivers State but with anomaly registration became a target, and the aviation authority was reportedly sent after the aircraft for scrutiny.
The aviation authority discovered the aircraft had been flying in the country illegally for two weeks without regularization of its papers. To worsen the case, one Caverton Helicopters, a company mentioned by officials of the Rivers State as the agent that handled the aircraft’s registration and paper works denied knowledge of the transaction and that the paper works for the aircraft’s registration involving it may have been forged.
The country’s House of Representatives waded into the matter and came out with a report, blamed the presidency and Caverton Helicopters, and exonerated the governor and his State. But Caverton Helicopters has challenged the house report and asked the River State Government to produce paper works to show the public it had transactions with it.
Meanwhile, the aviation authority in the country has succeeded in grounding the $45.7m Bombardier aircraft. With the feud between the governor, the presidency and his party now public knowledge, the governor insisted on retaining the position of the governors’ forum chairmanship against the wish of his party and the presidency, but he enjoyed the urge of the opposition parties. He said he won the Governors Forum’s election supported by the opposition against governors from his own party, who said their own candidate won the election.
The matter reached a climax at the weekend when the party, which the president and the governor both belong decidedly places the governor on suspension for indiscipline, and announces it has set up a body to investigate the governor’s disbandment of a local party executive in his State. The governor has cried foul and says he would not leave the party or allow anyone force him out of the party, as he is ready to fight - legally - to prove that his hands are clean.
When it comes to equity or the lack of it, observers say until Amaechi acquits himself of reported shady deal over an aircraft, his case with whoever are those he says are witch hunting him will be a matter of birds of same feather that flock together. "Rise above the dirty politicking in your party, respond to Caverton with documentations to show that you or your State Government has not forged papers, and the matter will be settled in your favor," they demand.
Follow Abiodun Giwa on twitter: @globalgiwaGiwa
President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi are members of the same party- the People Democratic – that has majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The president’s wife - Dame Jonathan - hails from the same state as Amaechi. Instead of the governor and the president’s wife to agree for the benefit of their party, both claim superiority and that has affected the relationship between the president and the governor. Consequently, the governor who also has been the chairman of the country’s Governors Forum turns into equity seeker against the president, the presidency and his party.
In seeking equity, Amaechi has forgotten that there is a need to come with clean hands and lacks the knowledge that the presidency and his party know what to do to cut him to size from what has become his over blown sense of importance as chairman of the Nigeria's Governors Forum. Papers for the aircraft he bought for the Rivers State but with anomaly registration became a target, and the aviation authority was reportedly sent after the aircraft for scrutiny.
The aviation authority discovered the aircraft had been flying in the country illegally for two weeks without regularization of its papers. To worsen the case, one Caverton Helicopters, a company mentioned by officials of the Rivers State as the agent that handled the aircraft’s registration and paper works denied knowledge of the transaction and that the paper works for the aircraft’s registration involving it may have been forged.
The country’s House of Representatives waded into the matter and came out with a report, blamed the presidency and Caverton Helicopters, and exonerated the governor and his State. But Caverton Helicopters has challenged the house report and asked the River State Government to produce paper works to show the public it had transactions with it.
Meanwhile, the aviation authority in the country has succeeded in grounding the $45.7m Bombardier aircraft. With the feud between the governor, the presidency and his party now public knowledge, the governor insisted on retaining the position of the governors’ forum chairmanship against the wish of his party and the presidency, but he enjoyed the urge of the opposition parties. He said he won the Governors Forum’s election supported by the opposition against governors from his own party, who said their own candidate won the election.
The matter reached a climax at the weekend when the party, which the president and the governor both belong decidedly places the governor on suspension for indiscipline, and announces it has set up a body to investigate the governor’s disbandment of a local party executive in his State. The governor has cried foul and says he would not leave the party or allow anyone force him out of the party, as he is ready to fight - legally - to prove that his hands are clean.
When it comes to equity or the lack of it, observers say until Amaechi acquits himself of reported shady deal over an aircraft, his case with whoever are those he says are witch hunting him will be a matter of birds of same feather that flock together. "Rise above the dirty politicking in your party, respond to Caverton with documentations to show that you or your State Government has not forged papers, and the matter will be settled in your favor," they demand.
Follow Abiodun Giwa on twitter: @globalgiwaGiwa
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