Amaechi not problem to Nigeria’s peace, development — Groups reply Matawalle
Two organisations have raised their eye brows against the Ministers of Defense, Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle, over his recent statement that a former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, is inciting the public against the Federal Government.
The Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, ITSGL, said the comments by Matawalle that he will deal with Amaechi smells of hatred, and is against the nation’s democracy.
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The Publicity Secretary of the body, Eric Justice Owuge, in a statement in Port Harcourt noted that the attack on Amaechi by Matawalle is to stop people from making comments about government programmes, alleging that the Defense Minister (State) as a governor failed cement good security architecture in his state, Zamfara.
Owuge said: “It is an obvious fact that this threat is not just against HE Amaechi but against the Nigerian people and our democracy. If people are not allowed to make statements and observations dispassionately, on what and how they feel about politics and governance in Nigeria, then we are as good as being in the animal kingdom.
“We are all aware of the inefficiency of MATAWALLE when he was the governor of Zamfara State that made Boko Haram Insurgents to take over majority parts of Zamfara under his watch and nothing happened until he left office in 2023.
“Matawalle, wants to secure cheap political sympathy from President Tinubu, by discrediting an honest statement and observation made by HE Amaechi, without excluding himself, by pointing out that it was targeted against President Tinubu what a White Wash.
“If MATAWALLE feels that HE Amaechi’s statement was not correct, we challenge him to go back and play back the video before rushing to issue a press statement.
“As an NGO that is saddled with the responsibilities of checkmating transparency and good leadership, we are advising MATAWALLE to use his good office as a minister in the Ministry of Defence to rescue his people from boko haram insurgents, instead of attempting to curry unmerited favour, since Nigerians and President Tinubu are already aware of his stock in trade.”
Similarly, Legendary Media Forensic Czars for Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, said the attack on Amaechi by Matawalle was a misrepresentation of what the former Transformation Minister is, urging members of the public to disregard the vituperation by Matawalle.
The body in a media statement signed by Ikechi Akpuh, the Convener, noted Amaechi as a governor who ended cultism and terror in Rivers State when he was on the saddle.
Akpuh noted that as the nation move towards the next general election that freedom of speech should be allowed.
Akpuh said: “For the avoidance of doubts ,as the former Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi declared zero tolerance to insecurity and fought criminality in the state to a standstill, which made some criminals and those associated to violence crimes to literally flee the state for safety.
“In view of the foregoing, Rt Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is well known for his peaceful nature not to talk about now that he is a law keeping citizen of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We described all the issues brought therefrom by the Minister of State for Defense as untrue, unfounded, baseless and hate speech against Amaechi, a foremost unblemished frontline Nigeria democrat, who before he was elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly had purged himself of greed, violence, hate speech and relied on constructive criticism as a tool for good governance as former Governor of Rivers State when he declared developmental revolution that cut across critical sectors of the economy.”
