Governor Rotimi Amaechi
The Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has appealed to the Federal Government to release the two aircrafts purchased by the state government.
This was even as Amaechi assured the Federal Government that he was not planning to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party as being speculated in some quarters.
The embattled chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum wondered why anybody would think he could dump the PDP, which, according to him, remains the only national party for now.
Governor Amaechi responded to questions from correspondents on Thursday, after a meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the State House, Abuja.
“I am still in the PDP. I am a member of the PDP. PDP is the only national party in the country for now. Why will one want to leave a national party and go to another party? he asked.
Amaechi further debunked insinuations that the aircrafts were purchased for the purpose of the 2015 presidential election campaign.
According to him, “The truth is that the Federal Government is aware. They gave us approval to buy an helicopter to fly around Rivers State for the purpose of security and we have done that.
“We bought and we paid. Up till now, they have not allowed the helicopter to come in. May be, they are afraid that it is for 2015.
“Please help us beg them on behalf of Rivers State that we need the aircraft to be able to secure the people of the state.
“Again, it is not within our control. It is in the control of the Nigerian Air Force. Although we will hire a civilian pilot but Nigerian security will manage it, not us.
“How will you use what is in the hands of Nigerian security to campaign? You see the mischief. The helicopter is to ensure that Rivers State is under watch for 24 hours.
“It has cameras. So if somebody is committing a crime, we are seeing it.
“The monitors are in the office of the Brigade Commander, office of the State Sirector of SSS, Office of the Governor, Office of the Commissioner of Police.
“So for Christ sake, tell me how you will use it for campaign.
“As usual, people will try to dent your image to show that this man is not as transparent as he claims after all. We have argued about the first aircraft we bought.
“That is no longer a story. We did not buy two jets, he maintained.
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