by Paul Osas
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state who said recently that he has not had a proper discussion with Pres. Goodluck Jonathan for some time now, has been using different fora to send missives and messages to the president. The latest intermediary is the British Minister for Africa and Member of Parliament, Mr. Mark Simmonds, who paid the governor a visit in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital.
Amaechi called on Britain to appeal to Pres. Jonathan to intensify his effort in the battle against oil theft and corruption. The governor told his guest that he doesn’t know if the “federal government is serious about combating oil theft.”
The Rivers governor had asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to covey a similar message during the latter’s visit recently to commission projects in the state. But Obasanjo refused to be a messenger and asked the governor to take his message to Aso Rock himself.
However, Amaechi playing host to Simmonds in Port Harcourt expressed concern over the way the Federal Government was going about the crusade against oil theft in the country, which he noted, has largely depleted the country’s resources. He appealed to the British Minister for Africa to raise the issue of corruption and the seeming insincerity on the part of the Federal Government to confront oil theft.
“For two years now, the Federal Government has refused entry into the country, two surveillance helicopters paid for by the Rivers State Government. These helicopters have cameras and their job is to fly all over and whoever that is stealing oil, you will see. And the helicopter will have a monitor with the Army, Police, Air force and with the Department of State Security, DSS. I don’t know how much you have seen about oil theft, and I don’t know if the Federal Government is serious about combating oil theft.
“Why I say this is that For two years now, the Federal Government has refused entry into the country, two surveillance helicopters paid for by the Rivers State Government. These helicopters have cameras and their job is to fly all over and whoever that is stealing oil, you will see. And the helicopter will have a monitor with the Army, Police, Air force and with the Department of State Security, DSS. I suspect the refusal may be for political reasons. The helicopters have been packed in America for two years now, and the Rivers State Government is paying demurrage on them.
“We paid for it, not the Federal Government, and we are prepared to help them, but the President has emphatically refused to allow the two helicopters into the country in the past two years. We are still paying demurrage.” Amaechi said.
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