Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Ameachi has experienced another sordid treatment of “an order from above” as he was disallowed from entering into the Government house, Port Harcourt via the Fortes Road entrance on Thursday by a detachment of the Nigerian Police Force.
The Governor, alongside his convoy and a company of former Speakers of Houses Assembly in the country, who came to visit him, were blocked off the private entrance of the Government House.
This was regardless of his four truckloads of policemen led by several senior officers of the Force.
Accord to reports, a heated argument ensued between the Governor’s aides and the policemen who they claimed they were acting on orders from above.
“The police officer who led the team was said to have told Amaechi that he does not take orders from the civilian, even when he was aware that it was the Governor.”
According to one the aides, Amaechi’s overture to pacify the police officers failed as they insisted that they can only act with superior order from Abuja.
The State Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari, said it was tantamount to big embarrassment as “the governor had to go through a much longer route”.
She also decried the level of impunity the crisis was creating adding that the action of the policemen is a disrespect to Amaechi and his office as well as “an affront on democracy and federalism.”
“It was a big embarrassment. One shudders to think and it’s an affront on federalism.
“We are waiting for the next move. May be the Governor would now be placed under house arrest” she stated.
“It’s clearly unacceptable in any decent society”, she said.
besides, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, George Feyii, said in a statement in Abuja
he recalled the stealthy deployment of “strange policemen and intelligence officers” to the Governor’s lodges in Abuja and Port Harcourt without prior notice to the Governor as was the practice nationwide.
Feyii’s statement read in part: “The Rivers State Government notes with distress what is now an apparent attack on the person of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“On Tuesday (July 16), two policemen, one of them, Inspector Bawa, reported to the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge at Justice Mohammed Bello Street, Asokoro, FCT, Abuja.
“They claimed to have been posted by Nigeria Police Force Headquarters to monitor the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge.
“Earlier, four intelligence officers had been posted to Government House, Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Police Command. These postings were done without any notification or reference to Governor Amaechi.
“We are aware that on issues of personal safety, an official reserves the right to pick the security personnel to whom he may entrust his safety. This is more so in the case of a state Governor.
“The policemen insisted on Wednesday morning (July 17) that they had directives to remain at the gate of the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge.
“Not only is the Rivers State Government uncertain of the true identity of these gentlemen, we are worried as to the true intent behind these latest postings.
“In recent times, events in Rivers State and especially around Governor Amaechi have been suggestive of deliberate nonchalance at best, and complicity at worst in the security breaches that have occurred.
“This trend has continued despite a passionate appeal to the highest levels of authority.
“We are worried that we can no longer guarantee the safety of Governor Chibuike Amaechi and wish to reiterate our call on all relevant authorities to ensure the safety of Governor Amaechi and the peace and security of everyone in Rivers State”, the Feyii pleaded.
It was gathered that the Governor and his entourage were delayed for about 45 minutes after which they had to take the option of a longer route through the Azikiwe Road entrance to the Government House.
This is one among the humiliations the governor has been made to face since the beginning of his row with the presidency.