By Oraye St. Franklyn
I am reliably informed, and it is on credible authority, that Amaechi himself appealed to be on the Ag. President’s trip to Rivers State. Sen. Magnus Abe, the Senator representing Rivers South East, it was, who was billed to accompany the visiting Acting President to the State since the Indorama Fertilizer Plant, commissioned today, as part of the visit was within Abe’s Senatorial District. But Amaechi would have none of that.
It was gathered that he exerted pressure on the Ag. President from several quarters of the Country, until he was, late last night, cleared to join the trip in the hope that he would not repeat his last insolence and disrespect for the office of the Ag. President as he did during the last visit to the State.
It would be recalled that during the last visit of the Ag. President to Rivers State, the embattled self-acclaimed leader of the APC in Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi diverted his car from the convoy of the visiting Acting President shortly after they took off from the airport and didn’t show up in any of the functions he was to accompany the President to, in spite of the fact that provisions had been made for him protocol-wise. Amaechi carried on as though the Acting President was subservient to him, exhibiting misplaced arrogance that clearly undermined the office of the President
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Yesterday, to the shock of the Acting President, who it was gathered had been assured of Amaechi’s good conduct, Amaechi who flew into Rivers State with the President snubbed him immediately they touched down in the State.
As Amaechi alighted from the plane, with a crestfallen and forlorn mien that revealed his rapid aging look, he neither acknowledged the presence of First Class Traditional Rulers of the State or even the Governor of the State. He didn’t even wait in line, as is customary, to receive the Ag. President. He simply disappeared into a waiting chopper While the President was being received; thus, abusing his privileges and insulting the office of the President.
Acting President Osinbajo didn’t take it lightly. All through the trip to Eleme by chopper, it was gathered that while the trio of Ag. President, Governor and Senator engaged themselves in meaningful dialogues, Amaechi was left to himself and his agony.
The Ag. President communicated his displeasure in unmistakable terms when he arrived Etche to commission roads in the LGA. He praised Governor Wike for his magnanimity in uniting Rivers State and acknowledged the presence of Sen. Abe, who himself, had earlier acknowledged both the Governor and leaders of the State at the airport on his arrival with the President.
Although Amaechi tried to pull a fast one on the visiting President in arranging a shoddy inspection of the International Airport, the President simply downplayed the distraction with just about 3 minutes distant look of the dregs of abandonment that Amaechi superintends over as a Project of his ministry.
One wonders why Amaechi keeps disrespecting the office of Acting President, who had been referred to in the past, derogatorily, as common commissioner. If Amaechi will not respect him, why appeal and blackmail him to be on his trip? Why go behind to beg him only to come to the open to scorn at him and undermine him? Why?
Who is afraid of Amaechi?
