Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi, this night came under scathing attack from former militant leader, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, who accused him of attempting “to pit Kalabari against Ikwere.” Dokubo, who is the Alabo Edi Abali of Kalabari, however, vowed that the governor would not succeed.

A sworn political enemy of Amaechi, Dokubo vent his spleen in a statement entitled “Governor Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi …You will fail in your attempt to pit Kalabari against Ikwere.” Below is the text of the statement:

When Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi came to power through the instrumentality of Seven Supreme Court judges, who wickedly deprived the people of Rivers state of their constitutional right of choice, and surreptitiously imposed Chibuke Rotimi Amaechi on them – a man who didn’t solicit for their votes, and who they never voted for; no one was surprised as this travesty of justice and abuse of justice is only possible in this contraption called Nigeria.

Immediately Rotimi Amaechi assumed office, he declared war on the Okrika and Kalabari Ijaws, in his bid to rid Port Harcourt of Ijaw presence. His first anti-Ijaw affront was the demolition of the Waterfront Settlement. The Okrikas fought and kicked against it while we the Kalabari didn’t do any tangible thing to confront him, especially the Abonnema Wharf which from time immemorial, have been home to Kalabari people and the gate way to Bakana, old Bakana, Abonnema, Buguma etc.

Governor Rotimi Chubike Amaechi gave reasons why the Waterfront settlement or shanties, as he called them, must give way for his so-called Urban Renewal Policy, as these communities devalued the Garden city status of Port Harcourt. Which ordinarily is in the public interest.....Those who are always ready to act as professional sales men swallowed it hook, line and sinker. While some of us who knew the underhand, vindictive and reactionary programme Rotimi Amaechi was pursuing, warned that this was nothing but an ethnic cleansing agenda, geared towards promoting, and sowing seed of discord amongst the Kalabari,

Okrika Ijaws and Ikweres. For us Kalabari, the Ikweres are our closest neighbours and have closer affinities with us than any other people, including our fellow Ijaws. There is hardly any Kalabari family that does not have in-laws in Ikwere land. And from time immemorial there hardly been any crisis involving Kalabaris and Ikweres.

As I write, I am utterly confused whether to say I am a Kalabari man or an Ikwere man because of our closely knit family ties; even as my great ancestor, Ombo Big Harry, is from Elibrada in Ikwere. Maybe, Rotimi Amaechi, who’s Ikwereness is in doubt has not been told these ancient connections between the Kalabaris and Ikweres – that he has continued to push Kalabari people to the wall and expects us to break our age-long bond of blood and unconditional friendship. We will not be tempted to break these ties because of Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s rascality. Today, Rotimi Amaechi is fencing Abonnema Wharf and apportioning and allotting its plots to his allies, cronies and family members in contrast to the public interest kite he flew to bulldoze the Abonnema wharf settlement ...., and preventing our people from gaining access to their communities especially the towns of Bakana, Old Bakana and Elem Kalabari etc.

If Amaechi has gone gaga there must be elders in his community, amongst his hangers-on and praise-singers, to guide, enlighten and re-direct him – there is even a psychiatric home in nearby Rumu-Igbo that can cure Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of his annoying dementia and bring him back to sanity.

An appeal to our Ikwere brothers and sisters to call Amaechi to order
Meka! Our brothers and sisters, we cannot fold our hands and close our eyes to the war path that Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has decided to tread without directing him to the path of peace and brotherhood. As Ikwere people, we should know our ancient ties of blood, brotherhood and friendship with our Kalabari brothers and sisters. If Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi want to cause war, he should cause such a war that his immediate family – his wife and children will be able to fight. His pretentious antecedence is there for all to see. After his disqualification from partaking in the governorship election, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi ran away to Ghana; on self exile. He only returned when the Supreme Court imposed him on us. He showed to all and sundry that he would be the first to run away whenever there is a crisis or war. We should not let Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi cause a war that will involve you and me. Our fathers didn’t fight themselves so we should not fight ourselves. But not everybody is like me. There are those who will be tempted by the devil to tread the warpath of revenge and bloodshed. We should not allow Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi to be used as an instrument of the devil to sow the seed of discord among us. We should totally reject, and refuse to dance to the beat of his war drums. We must join hands with our Kalabari brothers and sisters as a sign of our age-long unity, march down to Abonnema wharf and pull down the evil walls of division and hatred that he has erected. This we must do, and if we fail to do this, our Kalabari brothers will feel betrayed that we are taking side with Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi, who as I said before has a doubtful Ikwere pedigree.

To our Kalabari brothers and sisters....
This is not the time to seat on our beds and chatter like women, or seat on the fence. This is a call to show our humane Kalabariness and tell Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi that enough is enough! We must all come out and march to Abonnema Wharf with our Ikwere brothers and sisters, and pull down Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s wall of Jericho.
Akumafiete!

•Photo shows Dokubo.

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