Rivers Crisis Timeline: Five months of a governor’s travails May 24 Mr.Amaechi defeated his Plateau State counterpart,Jonah Jang,by 19 votes to 16 to retain his seat as the NGF chairman.However,Mr. Jang and 15 other governors, including Mr.Akpabio,kicked against the result,alleging rigging by Mr.Amaechi.This led to the emergence of two factions of NGF. May 27 The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, suspended Mr. Amaechi, who was celebrating his 48th birthday for refusing a directive to recall the suspended Chairman and Councillors of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The same day, the party set up an 11-member committee headed by Joe Gadzama to investigate the governor. May 27 At an interactive session, the Rivers governor raised the alarm that his life was in danger and begged for prayers. He said, “I want to say the way these people at the federal level are acting, they may come after my life. So, when you pray, pray for me,” he said at the session tagged “Consolidating on Rivers of our Dreams.” May 30 The Jang faction opened a parallel secretariat of NGF at No 2 Nana Close, Maitama District, Abuja. Governors at the ceremony were Idris Wada (Kogi), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Mukhtar Yero (Kaduna), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina). Others were Theodore Orji (Abia), Peter Obi (Anambra), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Garba Umar (Acting Gov, Taraba), Steve Lawani (Deputy, Benue) and deputy governor of Gombe State. May 31 Mr.Amaechi headed for court to challenge his suspension from the PDP. Justice Emmanuel Ogbuji of Rivers State High court stopped the party from taking further action against the governor until hearing on the substantive suit was held. He ordered that the status quo be maintained. June 4 The Rivers state Governor vowed not to quit as NGF Chairman, saying the mandate was freely given to him by his colleague- governors. He stated this in an interview with journalists after inspecting the NGF Secretariat in the Asokoro District of Abuja. It was his first visit to the secretariat since the May 24 election. He was accompanied by Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State. June 5 Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, in his capacity as a member of NGF filed a suit in an FCT High Court asking the court to stop Mr. Jang from parading “himself as the elected Chairman of the NGF in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.” June 14 Wife of the President and First Lady, Patience Jonathan, an indigene of Rivers State, arrived in Port Harcourt to begin a 10-day visit to Rivers State. On her arrival, she rejected the accommodation provided for her by the State Government. She reportedly expressed anger that Mr. Amaechi was not at the airport personally to welcome her. Residents of Rivers State allegedly suffocated due to heavy security presence everywhere. She also attended the marriage ceremony of a member of the state legislature, Evans Bipi. She also said in a statement by her aide that she was not in the state to facilitate Mr. Amaechi’s impeachment. June 16 In a press statement, Mr. Amaechi warned Mr.Jang to stop impersonating him as his (Jang) actions typified criminality. June 17 The Jang faction of the NGF held its first meeting at its new secretariat after which the Plateau State governor replied Mr. Amaechi that he was not an impostor as alleged by the Rivers governor. The faction met with the president that night to brief him on the outcome of the meeting, which was basically premised on the misunderstanding between the 36 states and the Federal Ministry of Finance over FAAC allocation. June 19 While playing host to a former Petroleum Minister, Tam David-West, who paid him a solidarity visit, Mr. Amaechi described the State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, as a security risk. June 20 Mr. Mbu fired back describing the governor as “a tyrant and dictator.” He alleged that the governor was after him because he refused to be subservient. June 26 Mr.Amaechi and 16 of the governors belonging to his NGF faction rescheduled their meeting, which was to hold this day, to attend a dinner organised by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa. They had converged on the Rivers State Governors Lodge from where they moved to the Villa. At the meeting, the embattled governor was blocked by Mr. Jonathan’s bodyguards from coming close to greet the president. Mr. Jang was also at the dinner with members of his group.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:59:31 +0000
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