I’ve no personal quarrel with Jonathan, says Amaechi.

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Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has
said there is no personal quarrel between him
and President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said the state government had misgivings
about certain actions of the Federal
Government towards the indigenes.
Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said the
politics of self interest and greed had put
Rivers at the end of national development,
saying: “Our doors remain open to a
negotiated settlement of the issues within the
context of the constitutional relationship
between the state and the Federal
Government.”
The governor yesterday in Port Harcourt in his
New Year broadcast, titled: “2014 – A Year of
Promise,” said the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) did not reciprocate his commitment
and devotion, but the ruling party was used
to undermine Rivers State and erode the
peace and order, which he noted his
government had worked hard to enthrone,
making him to defect to the main opposition
party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said: “As you are aware, recent political
developments in and around the state have
attracted deserved national attention. Ours is
a young democracy. Therefore, when
politicians take positions informed by
principles, which appear unusual, it becomes
a test case for our emerging democratic
culture. The recent developments in and
around our state are not about me. They are
about conflicting interpretations of the Rivers
interest. You elected us into office to
represent you. That sacred mandate means
we have to protect your interests at all times.
“There is no personal quarrel between
President Goodluck Jonathan, an illustrious
son of the Niger Delta and myself. But the
Rivers State government, which we have
been privileged to lead, has some misgivings
about certain actions of the Federal
Government towards Rivers people. As your
elected leader, we will be failing in our duties
if we do not draw attention to such actions.
“First, we have expended huge resources in
executing approved federal projects, such as
the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road, without any
refund. Second, there is hardly any
reasonable federal project ongoing in the
state. Work on the Port Harcourt International
Airport, a major gateway to the eastern part
of the country, has been abandoned.
“Third, the Federal Government has
embarked on a reduction of our natural
resource endowments. A number of oil wells
and gas fields located in the state have been
carved out and ceded to neighbouring states,
while the resources due from these have also
been paid to those states. Fourth, the major
industrial and strategic security projects,
which were originally slated for location in
Rivers State, have been moved to
neighbouring states, without even the
courtesy of an explanation.
“Fifth, there is evidence of discrimination
against Rivers State indigenes in key federal
appointments. Of all the councils and boards
of federal universities and tertiary institutions
recently announced, there is hardly any
Rivers indigene considered fit to head any of
them.
“Sixth and most importantly, the Federal
Government has encouraged the
destabilisation of security in the state through
tacit encouragement of the return of militants
onto the streets of Port Harcourt and by
encouraging the police to play a partisan role
in the affairs of the state.
“Efforts to reach a peaceful resolution of our
differences on these issues have not yielded
results.”