Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, engaged in a war of words on Friday during the burial of a former Supreme Court Justice, Adolphus Karibi-Whyte in Port Harcourt.
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Nyesom Wike was represented at the Funeral by his Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke.
While speaking at the funeral, Amaechi decried the rising Insecurity in Rivers state as well as what he called political intimidation by the state government under Wike.
He said Rivers State under Wike has gone back to the era of former militant leader, Ateke Tom in terms of insecurity.
“You have lost your voice. The sage (the late justice) has gone under and nobody is speaking. When I was governor, I gave people voices, but they have blocked those voices.” Amaechi said as he shaded Governor Wike openly.
“Everyone is scared. We are going back to when Ateke held sway. We are going back to the period where we run away from our people. We are back to a period when nobody could speak. But from next year, I will begin to speak, if nobody wants to speak.“
We are all here because we need to bury a man God has blessed. I have stopped travelling because of bad weather, but I told myself I must be here because of Justice Whyte.
“If you knew Justice (Karibi-Whyte) very well, you will know I was close to him. I was one of the few people he mentored.”
Also speaking at the Funeral, Nyesom Wike through his Chief of Staff, described the late Supreme Court Justice as an epitome of integrity, dignity and civility.
He however faulted Amaechi’s comments and said they were disappointing. He said the Minister of Transport had lost touch with recent developments in the state, including the setting up of a security outfit, Operation Sting to tackle the issue of insecurity in the state.
“It is unfortunate for Amaechi to come to Kalabari land and accuse former President Goodluck Jonathan of not developing the area six years after he had left office. Wike said.
“I wonder why the former governor will choose to make such embarrassing remarks at the funeral of late Justice Karibi-Whyte, a man he (Amaechi) claimed to be his mentor.”