Rivers Governor Signs 2014 Appropriation Bill Into Law

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi signed the 2014 appropriation bill into law.

A proposal to spend N485.5 billion was presented by the Governor to the State House of Assembly on January 7, and was approved the same day.

While signing the bill into law, Amaechi stressed that completion of ongoing projects in Rivers would be the main focus of the budget.

The projects include programs in health, education, roads, transport, power, water, and agriculture sectors.

Governor noted that the prompt passage of the bill would enhance sustained provision of people-oriented projects in the state.

"Let me thank the House for its action and for upholding the right of all Rivers people to good governance," Amaechi said.

Murder: Bail Granted To Rivers House Leader

The police on Wednesday granted administrative bail to the detained leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Julius Lloyd, after spending five days in detention.

Lloyd, who represents Emohua Constituency in the House, was arrested by the police at about 6.30 pm on January 2, 2013, on an allegation that he deliberately killed a policeman, Sergeant Urang Obediah and a civilian, Mr Kingsley Ejehuo, along the East-west road on December 30, 2013.

Legal representative of the detained lawmaker, Mr. Emenike Ebete, told journalists in Port Harcourt, said he was granted administrative bail with a condition that he must deposit his international passport with the police, as well as provide two sureties, one of which must deposit a certificate of occupancy (C of O).

The arrest of Lloyd deepened the face-off between Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, as both disagreed on the allegation levelled against the lawmaker.

The police, had in a statement, said the lawmaker was arrested on his way to the Air-Force base in Port Harcourt, to join Amaechi in a private jet in an attempt to evade police arrest, even when Ebete insisted that he was with Lloyd in his residence in Port Harcourt when he was arrested.

But, the governor, who spoke through his chief press secretary, David Iyofor, said the position of the police on matter was an attempt to hoodwink the public and discredit the governor.

He said; “In another attempt to hoodwink the public and discredit the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the state police command had released a completely distorted and untrue account of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the leader of the House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd on January 2, 2014.

“We emphatically state that Governor Amaechi has no private plane or jet as claimed by the police and Hon. Lloyd was nowhere near the plane that took the governor from Port Harcourt to Abuja.”

BREAKING NEWS: Rivers Assembly Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd, Arrested For Murder

The Rivers State Police Command said it had arrested the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, for the alleged murder of his kinsman, Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo and a police sergeant, Urang Obediah.

A statement made on Thursday night indicated that Lloyd was purportedly arrested on his way to join the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in his private jet in order to escape justice.

The statement sent via e-mail by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, specified that Lloyd knocked down Obediah while pursuing Ejeuo, identified to be his political opponent.

Lloyd, who was still standing trial for his involvement in the fracas that took place in the State House on July 9, 2013, was said to have rammed into Ejeuo’s Passat car with a bulletproof vehicle and killed him (Ejeo).

The police command pointed out that it had initially thought it was an auto accident until Lloyd relocated to another hospital, “conscious of what he did.”

“The Rivers State Police Command has arrested Hon. Chidi Llyod of the Rivers State House of Assembly for murder of police Sgt. Urang Obediah and Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, his kinsman and arch political opponent.

“He was arrested on his way to join Governor Amaechi Rotimi in his private jet at the Airforce base to escape justice.

“Hon. Chidi Lloyd on December 30, 2013 while pursing his political opponent, knocked down Sgt. Urang Obediah, in spite of his effort to stop him, rammed and killed him and went ahead to crush the Passat car of Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo was driving and killed him.

“Initially the Police thought that it was a mere accident, which ought to have been a manslaughter. The Commissioner of Police directed ACP Aliyu Garba, the Area Commander Metro, to visit him in his hospital bed and commiserate with him, conscious of what he did, Chidi Lloyd relocated to another hospital.

“Facts emerged that Chidi Lloyd drove a bullet-proof vehicle while pursuing his political opponent, late Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo, and he (Lloyd) knocked down Sgt. Urang Obediah, who died on the spot and (Lloyd) moved ahead to smash a political opponent in his Passat car who equally died instantly,” the statement reads.

The statement added that late Ejeuo, who hailed from the same place with Lloyd was believed to be in the PDP camp led by Elder Felix Obuah.

The statement also indicated that the Leader of the House allegedly escaped from the hospital where he was being guarded by four policemen.

However, a top government official told our correspondent that the claim by the police that Lloyd tried to join Amaechi in his (Amaechi) private jet in order to escape justice was a blatant lie.

It will be recalled that Lloyd, who presented himself to the Nigeria Police after a video clip showed him hitting a member of the House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Chinda, with a mace on the head, was charged to court on a six-count charge, including attempted murder.

Lloyd was later granted bail in order to receive medical attention after sustaining injury during the July 9, 2013 free-for-all in the chambers of the State House of Assembly.

PDP can never win in Nigeria again — Amaechi

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi

AHEAD of the 2015 presidential election, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said unless the Peoples Democratic Party embraces rigging, it can never win elections in the country.

The governor, who made this remark while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Friday night, said with the exodus of PDP members to the All Progressives Congress, the ruling party was on its way out of power.

He said, “Most of you may have known that I have since left the PDP to a better party called the All Progressives Congress because the PDP is a drowning party and the facts remain that PDP is a drowning party.

“Watch out before March if we don’t have the numbers that we are looking for. So, you can’t call us opposition anymore because there are three arms of government and only two are electable; the executive and legislature.

“Yes, the PDP has the national executive, but we are inching close to having the legislature. Who then would be called the opposition if we have it?”

Amaechi, who predicted that more governors would defect to the APC in 2014, disclosed that one of the reasons why he left the PDP was as a result of the attempt by President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, to interfere in the governance of Rivers State.

He also cited the ceding of Rivers resources to other states, the absence of Federal Government projects in the state and bad governance as the reasons why he dumped the PDP.

“But the basic reason why we left is the resources of Rivers State. I have told all of you on several occasions that the wife of the President was not elected the governor of Rivers State. I am the governor of Rivers State and husband to Judith Amaechi.

“I left because of the attempt by the wife of the President to micromanage governance in Rivers. I said no, you can’t; so that if I fail, they will not say the wife of the President failed, Governor Amaechi failed. I am accountable to God and to men and women,” he added.

Amaechi, however, said Nigerian politicians were averse to telling the truth and blamed Nigerians for the lack of interest in knowing the truth.

Recalling his claim that the Federal Government could not account for the sum of $49.8 bn and N2.3 trn oil subsidy, Amaechi said governors, at a time, refused to collect their states’ monthly allocations for three months.

He said, “When the politician reel out numbers, you should hold him accountable to the numbers he has reeled out. If you don’t hold them accountable, he will just say anything he likes.

“When I said the Federal Government could not account for $49.8 bn, they said, Amaechi, how did you know and I pulled out the letter and said the authority is the CBN governor.

“So, let him deny it. When I said they could not account for N2.3 trn for oil subsidy, they say what is your source? I was in the meeting with the President. We told the President that under General Obasanjo, the total oil money was N300 bn. The first year of President Goodluck Jonathan, 2011, oil subsidy became N2.3 trn. Did we buy more machines, expanded Nigeria?”

Source.PUNCH.