ANOTHER delegation comprising eight state governors visited embattled Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers
State on Thursday, and implored him to seek audience with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja to brief the president on the recent security challenges that he is facing as the chief security officer of his state.
On the entourage to Port Harcourt were Governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.
Representing Imo, Nassarawa and Zamfara were the states’ respective deputy governors.
After a closed-door meeting with Governor Amaechi, the spokesperson of the group of visiting governors and deputy governors explained that their visit to Port Harcourt was out of a need to address the security situation in Rivers State, which is they described as a “major concern.”
“We do feel strongly, having listened to him that it is quite important for him to actually go and brief Mr. President, who is our leader and the chief security officer of the country on the very challenging security situation here in Rivers.
“We believe that our chairman and brother will give serious consideration to that particular concern we have expressed to him.
“It is important, as the chief security officer of Rivers, to take the opportunity to go and brief Mr President on the security situation in the state.
“In our discussion with our brother, we talked on the importance for the hierarchy of our police authority, the Inspector General of Police, to help in restoring the confidence of the people of Rivers in police.
“For us, we believe that this is a matter that requires the moral authority of Mr President as well; it is about saving the democracy; it is about ensuring that peace reigns in Rivers.
Fayemi said that nobody should use any means to create tension in any place in the country.
He added: “the tension in Rivers is avoidable and we want all parties to sheathe their sword and to help restore the peace and security of the state.’’
The visit by the eight governors, who interestingly belong to the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, follows a Tuesday visit by another group of 4 governors from the northern part of the country since the beginning of the political tensions in Rivers State.
The quartet of Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa states said they visited their “brother and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum” and to ascertain for themselves some of the things they had been reading in the media lately.
Although the governors expressed satisfaction with the peaceful atmosphere in the state despite the political developments there, they said they were shocked over the role being played by the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu.