Minister for Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has hailed former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, late Chief GU Ake, as a peace-loving man who contributed immensely to human capital development.

Amaechi stated this at Erema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state, during the burial ceremony of the late Chief Godspower Umejuru Ake, on Friday. The late Chief Ake was an ally of Amaechi, the immediate past Rivers State Governor. He was also a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the First Republic.

Amaechi, who also acknowledged the role played by the late Chief GU Ake in realising his gubernatorial ambition, explained that many whom the elder statesman assisted in life turned against him before his death.

Amaechi said: “After Dr. Peter Odili became governor, Chief helped to make me governor. I will tell you one lesson I learnt from chief. He said people will continue to betray you so let it not worry you. A lot of people that were chief’s friends betrayed him. Chief taught me that where there is no God there will be no peace. I thought Chief would die when Felix Obuah ‘Go-Round’ betrayed him. If you all remember ‘Go-Round’ was shot in his privates, the first man that rushed to me was Chief GU Ake, he gave me an ultimatum that I must fly him (Go-Round) out to South Africa for treatment and I brought the money, he was flown abroad and was treated, but today ‘Go-Round’ has betrayed Chief.”

“We must look at what has happened to our own leader, our own father. A child in Omoku (Chief’s home town) went to court and lied against Chief, and removed him because they had power of the Presidency. I know chief very well and was close to him, chief was a good adviser, he was not greedy, and he died a Rivers man. All those he helped are not here. I owe him nothing than this respect and to continue to be a member of his family.”

In another development, Amaechi has commended Dr. Henry Itotenaan Ogiri, a former Executive Director, Admin and Finance at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for decamping from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at a grand reception in honour of Ogiri at County State School field in Abua/Odual Local Government Area (LGA), Amaechi stated that Ogiri had demonstrated foresight in the interest of Rivers people and Abua/Odual in particular for joining APC. Amaechi was represented by Senator Magnus Abe, APC candidate for Rivers South East Senatorial district in the legislative re-run elections.

He urged other Rivers people who had been tied to PDP because of former President Goodluck Jonathan for being in power should now feel free to embrace APC as Rivers people because of their history had never been in opposition.

“Dr. Ogiri is an old friend and an old member of our political family. We know why some of the Rivers men and leaders stayed in the PDP. They felt that because Dr. Jonathan is from the South-South and Niger Delta, they should not leave him at that time. That was the reason why some decent Rivers men and women on that principle decided to stay in the PDP. They did not stay in the PDP because of Nyesom Wike.”

Hetold Rivers people that they should take advantage of this opportunity to get themselves at the centre as PDP had nothing to offer them and indeed the Niger Delta.

He stated that the APC-led Federal Government was working on the Calabar-Lagos rail line and airports all across the Niger Delta.

This, he said, would provide employment, business opportunities and infrastructural development that would enhance the lives of the people of the region.

He appealed to true Rivers men to leave the PDP sinking boat, pointing out that if Nigeria is in recession that Rivers State was already in a depression as many companies had left the state.

He lamented that no investment had been coming into the state yet the governor was not bothered about this development because of politics.

He said the governor, for his interest of politics, could jeopardize Rivers interest without caring a hoot.

He reminded the governor that the essence of politics was to have a better life for the people and advised him to always protect Rivers interest without partisan consideration.

Furthermore, Amaechi said with the defection of Ogiri that the politics of Abua/Odual LGA has changed for good in the interest of APC.

Earlier, Dr. Ogiri had said that he decamped from PDP to enable Rivers people align with the Federal Government in order to bring development and progress to Rivers State.

He said that he decamped with more than 5,000 members of PDP, assuring that his entrance into APC would change the political equation of Abua/Odual LGA and Rivers State in general.

The former PDP chieftain and his supporters were formally received by the state Chairman of the party, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.

Among top APC chieftainsthat were present at the occasion were; Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, Director General, NIMASA and APC governorship candidate in the 2015 elections, Elder Chidi Wiyorka, Engr. Sampson NgeregbaraDr. Ipalibo Harry, Chief Emeka Beke, APC state Secretary, Hon. Augustine Paul Ngo, Hon. Raphael Muzan Ekpelu and Hon. Gift Igoma Loveday.

•Photo shows Amaechi and his wife Judith (right) with wife of late Chief GU Ake (middle) at the funeral of the deceased, on Friday.