An Ijaw activist and spokesperson for Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA), Annkio Briggs has said that former head of state and elder statesman, Yakubu Gowon, should steer clear of the dispute between President Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi and allow things take their course.
Gowon had used his presence at the Alfred Diette-Spiff Civic Centre for an event to mark the Centenary Celebration of Port Harcourt City, to try and reunite Jonathan and Amaechi.
“For the records, I would not have attended this event if I had reason to believe that the possibility of brokering peace between the key leaders of thought had been foreclosed”, Gowon had said.
Annkio Briggs advised Gowon to save his energy as there was nothing to reconcile.
“When you look at the person of the President and his office, and look at the person of Amaechi and his office as governor, to me, it is very disrespectful to continue to dance round the fact that there is something to reconcile the President with Amaechi”, said Briggs.
“It takes greatness to be humble. But, it takes weakness to use somebody’s humility to disrespect another person.
“If Gowon is reconciling Jonathan with Amaechi, will he also reconcile the G-7 governors with the President? I don’t think it is necessary.
”Did Gowon not hear what Amaechi said that he needs social justice for peace to reign! Is that what he would have said if the President was present at the event?
“The President has been accused of taking the oil wells belonging to Akuku Toru in Rivers State to stiffen the governor. This is childish.
“He has accused the President of plotting to kill him and planning to remove him from office as governor. This does not in any way show that Amaechi has any respect for Jonathan”, Briggs insisted.
Davies Ibiamu, former Commissioner in Amaechi’s cabinet and Rivers State coordinator of All Progressives Congress (APC) took a different stance on the matter, calling for both sides to set aside their differences.
“The governor is against social injustice. We want peace but he said he must be given his social justice. We need peace in this country and not political rancor.
“So, I believe in the ability of the former Head of State to bring them together for peace so that we all can move forward as a people”, Ibiamu said.
“He (Amaechi) is an asset to any political party. But since PDP does not know his value, we need him in APC.
“When we target a person, we get him. So, I believe that the governor will soon join us.
“He has a lot of followers in the entire local government areas of the state, 27 House of Assembly members, two senators and 10 House of Representatives members in the National Assembly and the rest. We cannot ignore such a great potential.
“But in all of these, I want them to reconcile their differences. One thing I believe is that when God steps into a matter, such matter is settled for good.
“God will crown the effort of Gowon and other meaningful Nigerians to reconcile the two of them”.