God, if he were a human being, must have been perplexed as his sons call on him in contradictory terms, each dragging Him on to do the opposite of what the other wants.
Such was the scenario on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, as Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi rejoiced in remembrance of his victory at the Supreme Court over his cousin, Sir Celestine Ngozichim Omehia, on October 25, 2007, while the latter, Omehia, was asking God to reverse the verdict of that day he termed “Dark Thursday” and return him back to the coveted seat.
It was indeed a day of contradictory celebrations for the two brothers inRiversState, thanks to the perplexing game of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2007, and the equally perplexing wisdom of justice Katsina-Alu and his lieutenants at the Supreme Court.
Beginning with a Thanksgiving service on Sunday, October 23, 2011, Governor Amaechi reeled out series of activities including a colloquium, an interactive session with youths and others, to mark the event that began with the Supreme Court judgment of October 25, 2007.
His assumption of office was attributed to the kind gesture of God as he reiterated his commitment to complete all on-going projects.
He gave the assurance while addressing Rivers people during the special thanksgiving service to mark the fourth year anniversary of the Supreme Court Judgment that brought him to power in October 2007 atCivicCentreMoscowroadPortHarcourt.
The chief executive officer of the state noted that posterity would not smile on him if he failed to use his position for the common good considering his vows on assumption of officer in October 2007.
According to him, “I vowed that I will help the poor by using public funds to provide basic amenities for them, stressing that he would do everything within his power not to disappoint Rivers People.
Governor Amaechi recalled his travails before he replaced Sir Barr. Celestine Omehia as governor of River state on October 25, 2007, following the supreme court judgment.
He said a lot of revelations have been made by ministers of God, including Apostle Eugene Ogu, the former PFN President inRiversStatethat he would become the governor ofRiversStatewhich he followed up with prayers with the help of men of God and his friends.
He said the governorship seat inRiversStatewas divinely instituted and not a product of cabals.
According to him, since the administration of governor Rufus Ada George, God has always played supernatural roles to determine who governs the state, stressing “the governorship ofRiverStateis 80-90 percent determined by God”.
He emphasized that those who failed to see the finger of God in who leads the state should use the court judgment as a reference point, adding that he never thought of becoming the governor ofRiversState.
Governor Amaechi who commended those who assisted him financially and in kind during his travail, such as Chief Victor Odili, G. U. Ake, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini, Elder Chidi Wehioka, Hon. Victor Giadom, Hon. Magnus Abe, among others, also commended Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for appointing two Rivers indigenes as ministers of the federal republic of Nigeria for the first time, assuring that he would support him till the end of his administration.
Apostle David Zilly Aggrey, the president of both CAN and PFN in River State, noted that the Supreme Court Judgment on October 2007 which declared Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as governor of Rivers State, was an act of God, adding that since governor Amaechi assumed office, the Rivers people have witnessed development projects across the state.
He appealed to governor Amaechi to ensure that he completed all the ongoing projects in the state before he leaves office in 2015.
Apostle Aggrey who also chaired the service urged all contractors handling the projects in the state to ensure that they completed all the projects on schedule.
On the other side of the divide, Bishop Emma Ogu and other men of God also prayed to God to change the hand of the clock and make the ‘Dark Thursday’ a bright day for Sir Omehia.
Elelenwo Streetin GRA,Port Harcourt,RiversState, was a bee-hive of activities on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 as loyalties of His Excellency, Sir Celestine Ngozichim Omehia, former governor of the state, took time off to gather at his residence to commemorate the sad event that happened in 2007.
It was the day in 2007, when the supreme court headed by Justice Katsima Alu in its wisdom removed Sir Omehia as governor, replacing him with Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in a judgment described by Prof Ben Nwabueze as “Amazing because it makes a mockery of the lofty principle and ideals of democracy, constitutionalism and justice which it professes to affirm, uphold and apply”.
Gov Amaechi never contested for the position but was installed by the Supreme Court judges.
Speaking during the commemoration, Sir Omehia said, it was a dark Thursday that would never be wished away.
“Today we are here for a special mission in commemoration of what happened on the 25th day of October 2007”, the former governor stated in his speech.
He went on, “That was the day that the people ofRiversStatewere disenfranchised, the day the people ofRiversStatewere denied of their votes, the day I will call the dark Thursday of the year and it will ever remain dark in the history of Rivers politics. It is a dark Thursday in the history of democracy inNigeria. That was the day that the constitution of federalrepublicofNigeriawas turned upside down for personal interest. That was the day people used their personal interest to destroy what 140 million people agreed to be in our constitution.
“That was the day that autocracy was installed inRiversState. That was the day division amongst the people ofRiversStatecrept intoRiversState. That was the day infrastructure died inRiversState, that was the day democracy went to sleep inRiversState.
But, we have hope, we have hope. Like Gani Fawehimmi said, before he died, may his soul rest in peace, that when Rivers people were voting on the 14th April, 2007, they had in their minds, they had in their eyes, they had in their hearts who they wanted to rule them and they never had the eyes of the law in their minds. The eyes of the law was in the eyes of two people only inNigeria.
“Only two people saw the eyes of the law. The Rivers people saw who they wanted to rule them. Rivers people had in mind, who they voted for and Rivers people evaluated the person that won the election.
“It is painful that all of you standing here whether indigenes or non-indigenes, as long as you have business inRiversState, your right has been trampled upon. Forget the canon of what the law said and what the law did not say. Forget whatever the constitution now they want to twist, who do we want to vote for, was the question. It is a dark Thursday in the history ofRiversStateand it can never, ever, be wiped out.
“It is on that strength that I went down, put everything that happened in this book. The book is titled “The Right To Be Wrong”. Those who deprived you of your right said they have the right to deprive you of your right. Those who deprived you of your democratic process said they have the right to deprive you. And when we questioned they said, because we have nothing to do, appeal to God and we have appealed to God. Men can play God, but God is God. The Almighty father is the Almighty father. Whatever any human being does, he cannot be God.
“If Gaddafi will come down and die like a rat in the street, you know that God is God. InEgypt, you also saw what happened. God is God. In Rivers state, God is God.
“I therefore urge you not to weep for me, not to cry for me. let us cry for the people ofRiversState. You can see by yourself what is happening. How you can go toAda George Roadand pass freely; how you can go to Etche, through Igwuruta and pass freely, how you can go anywhere.
“Two weeks ago, we counted 24,000 pot holes in Rivers state. That is the effect of 25th October, 2007. If you are going from here to Borikiri, be sure you are spending ten hours. That is the effect of 25th October 2007. Discriminations by those who are ruling you against you for your own right is the effect of 25th October, 2007. We can keep counting.RiversStateis in trouble, but we shall redeemRiversState.
“Only those who know or who are present when a corpse was buried that can exhume it well. If you were not there, you cannot exhume a corpse well. We have had the experience and by the grace of God, soon, soon, soon…..
“After the elections, they announced their own result and I told you here that I am not leaving you behind, that I am with you and I will continue to be with you. When they turned the ruling upside down at the lower tribunal, we had a meeting here and I told you and assured you, I will pursue this case to the end.
“I thank all of you for showing up during the court of Appeal judgment. God bless all of you and God bless the court of Appeal. Wherever they will go, we shall be there life and direct. They have government money but we have the people. I am speaking on behalf of the silent majority of River state, the oppressed people of Rivers state, the deprived people of Rivers state. We represent you and we shall continue to be with you.
“Next year, 25th October, we will not celebrate this ceremony here again. We shall celebrate in Government House. The fact is that we are not going to discriminate against anybody. This time next year every person who is a Rivers person will come into Government House and drink and chat with us.
“So I thank you for coming here today in solidarity and in remembrance of what happened to Rivers people. I thank you for remembering today as a special date and this date will remain forever in the hearts of Rivers people and inNigeria. The hearts of Nigerians are bleeding because of that judgment. Nigerians are crying because of that judgment. The judgment that no lawyer wants to cite in the court, the judgment that no judge will want to refer in the court, is it good? Judgment passed and they say, “Don’t quote me oh, I didn’t say this”, is it a good judgment? If you know that you have done something stand and say I have done this. But if you say “ Don’t quote me oh”, then something is wrong with that judgment. The rest anybody is doing is a camouflage, but God is a Rivers man, he will vindicate us.
“I have never seen any person that has been sworn in as governor, except central bank, by appointment. Every governor must contest an election and win that election. And there is no governor that is sworn in twice in one year, only once.Nigeriahas 29th day of May, as the swearing in date. Whoever was sworn in on the 29th day of May, 2007, is the governor of Rivers state. Any person sworn in without election, we shall handle that one later.
“I thank you for your steadfastness. I thank you for this impromptu gathering. I was not ready for this when they said, members of APGA and indeed, Rivers people, because I was told, not only members of APGA that are here. There are traders, there are people who don’t belong to our party that are also here because they feel pain, they feel discouraged, because of the decision of two people. It will never happen again”.
Earlier, the running-mate of Sir Omehia on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), during the April 2011 governorship elections, Hon Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja had lambasted the government ofRiversStatefor mismanaging the resources.
“The resources of the Rivers people are mismanaged. I said it on the floor of the House. I said it when we had the opportunity to campaign”, he said, as he lamented the deplorable state of infrastructure in the state.
He said they have appealed to God, “When Katsima Alu in his arrogant manner challenged the people of Rivers State that they have the right to be wrong”.
Conducting a service tagged “Take over service”, men of God, led by Bishop Emma Ogu, prayed for the return of Sir Omehia to take over the mantle of leadership of the state.
Bishop Ogu said the dark Thursday would be redeemed by the service they have conducted.
Also speaking, Dominic Saata, an APGA official said there was fast development in the state during the time of Omehia, including the mile one market, Eleme flyover and others.###
Kenneth Amabipi and Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
