Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that the K-leg of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has been straightened, declaring that he has no apology over the declaration he made in December 2006 at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The former President also admonished incumbents never to run down their predecessors, but to build on their achievements.
He was apparently referring to President Goodluck Jonathan, who is now at loggerheads with the ex-President, who has temporarily withdrawn his membership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Amaechi, who was the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and now one of the leaders of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), declared that the K-leg pronouncement was made based on wrong assumptions and information.
Ex-President Obasanjo and the former Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly (Amaechi) spoke on Monday at the inauguration of Ambassador Nne Furo Kurubo Model Secondary School, Ebubu-Eleme-Ogoni in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.
The first phase of the projects’ inauguration would showcase Rivers Government’s completed projects in over 300 communities in 300 days.
The former President’s white aircraft (jet), marked G-SENT, landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 11:07 am, Obasanjo alighting at 11:09 am. He was received by Amaechi and wife, Dame Judith.
Monarchs, led by the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Godwin Gininwa; the representative of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Magnus Ngei Abe and some members of the National Assembly, Commissioners, other top Government officials and eminent personalities were part of the welcoming party.
The tumultuous crowd at the airport and projects’ sites kept shouting “Baba, Baba, Baba (daddy/father), we love you.” Many of the enthusiastic people carried placards with different inscriptions:, such as “OBJ, you are God sent to Nigeria” and “Amaechi, the people’s Governor.”
Other projects inaugurated on the first day of the two-day visit include the reconstructed and dualised 18.3 km G. U. Ake Road; the dualised Okporo Road, off the East-West Road; the dualised Elekahia-Rumuomasi and Ken Saro-Wiwa (Liberation Stadium) Roads, as well as the Model Primary Health Centre at Akpajo-Eleme.
The Songhai Farm at Bunu-Tai, off Bunu-Afam Road in Tai Local Government Area; the Banana Plantation in Ogoni; Afam Power Station in Afam, Oyigbo Local Government Area; the 2×60 MV/132/33 KVA Elelenwo Sub-injection Station in Port Harcourt were also inaugurated.
At the free Model Secondary School built on 21 hectares of land and being managed by an Indian firm), named after Nne Furo Kurubo, the state’s first permanent secretary and a former Nigerian Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, who was at the ceremony, the ex-President stated that the NGF chairman had done well.
PDP’s flags were given to the governorship candidates of the party in the South South zone, excluding Amaechi, at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt in December 2006, with the ex-President Obasanjo declaring that the ex-speaker’s candidature had K-leg, in spite of winning the governorship primaries.
The flag for the Rivers governorship candidate of the PDP was later given to Amaechi’s cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, from Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area
Ameachi went to court. His property was thrown out of his Port Harcourt residence, while Dr. Peter Odili was governor. He relocated to Ghana with his family.
Omehia won the election and was inaugurated as governor on May 29, 2007, but he was sacked by the Supreme Court in the landmark judgment of October 25, 2007, with Amaechi inaugurated as governor the following day at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Former President Obasanjo, who did acrobatic, by jumping to the high stage/podium, unlike Amaechi and Kurubo, who used the steps, said: “I am not here (in Rivers State) for politics. I am here to see development and to acknowledge development. So far, I have seen a bit. We still have other places to go.
“The Governor (Amaechi) talked about K-leg. I believe that as a leader, when I have something that requires action, that action must be taken. Otherwise, I am not a worthy leader. A report came about him (Amaechi) which indicated K-leg and I said yes, there was a K-leg. But then, he did what was required in democratic dispensation. He went to court to straighten the K-leg.
“I am one of those who when he got the judgment/verdict, I found it awkward. I did not voice it out publicly. Awkward in the sense that how can a man, who has not contested an election, a man who has not been voted for, will be declared the governor?
