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#Amaechitapes: Omokri Releases New Audio On Amaechi …Insists Transportation Minister Denigrated Buhari …Amaechi Is Hypocrite, Wike Mocks …He Confirms Buhari A Bad Product -Fayose
Bestselling author and former Presidential spokesman, Reno Omokri, has released an alleged new leaked audio of the Director General of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, which contradicted claims by the Presidency that the audio is from 2014.
In the first leaked audio by Mr. Omokri, Mr. Amaechi can be heard saying, “the president does not listen to anybody. He doesn’t care. You can write what you want to write. Does he read?”
Bombshell: Listen and Share as the DG of the @MBuhari campaign @ChibuikeAmaechi, destroys Buhari. “The President does not listen to anybody. Does he even read”-Rotimi Amaechi. LISTEN and Retweet #RenosDarts pic.twitter.com/3VKFzr8LPC — Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) 4 January 2019
Hours after the video leaked, it led to a social media storm which caused the Presidency to react by saying that the audio is old and from 2014, in a tweet by presidential assistant, Tolu Ogunlesi.
But in the extended audio released by Mr. Omokri (Sunday, January 6, 2019), it claimed Mr. Amaechi can be heard mentioning President Buhari’s name. In the tweet, the DG of the Buhari campaign said “the president does not listen to anybody. He doesn’t care. You can write what you want to write. Does he read? I was flying with him in the aircraft and we saw a news report where a goat seller was complaining that he couldn’t sell his goats during Sallah because of Buhari’s administration. And the president said what is my business with Onitsha goat sellers?”
Yesterday, I set up the @NGRPresident. I knew if I released the full #AmaechiTapes, they’d say it was fake. Now that @ToluOgunlesi admitted it is actually Amaechi, but from 2014, here is the rest of Part 1 proving that @AsoRock lied. Part 2 is coming shortly. Listen and Share pic.twitter.com/e3WiSyPIdX
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) 6 January 2019
The leaked audio is sending shockwaves around the country with Mr. Amaechi maintaining a stoic silence ever since the audio first surfaced.
This is even as Twitter trends have confirmed that the #AmaechiTapes were the number one trending topic in Nigeria yesterday (Saturday January 5, 2019).
Meanwhile, River State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has mocked the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over the alleged leaked tapes released last Friday.
Amaechi, who is also the Director-General of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, was allegedly caught on tape criticising Buhari and lamenting the rising rate of poverty in the country.
In a series of tweets yesterday, Wike said the alleged audio leaks showed that Amaechi supports Buhari for monetary gains, describing him as “a hypocrite.”
Wike tweeted, “It is only a greedy man that supports a world renowned failure because of monetary gains.
“I have known Amaechi from day one and greed has separated him from everyone he was once close to. The leaked tapes say it all.”
According to an audio released by Phrank Shaibu, an aide of Atiku Abubakar, who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Amaechi allegedly railed at Buhari in a conversation with some journalists.
In the clip Amaechi, purportedly said Buhari neither reads nor listens to anyone.
Sources told newsmen that Amaechi allegedly made the comments at a meeting with journalists in Minna over a year ago.
It was further alleged that some persons had been using the audio clip to blackmail the Minister of Transportation for some time.
In one of the clips, Amaechi speaking said, “The President is not listening to anybody. He doesn’t care. You can write anything you want. The President doesn’t care. Does he read?”
In another part of the audio, Amaechi threatened to bar journalists from events if the audio is leaked.
He said, “These are not things you publish oh! If you publish them, you will never sit with me any day.
“Three years of Buhari, oh, everybody is crying, crying… pressmen are crying, farmers are crying, workers are crying, politicians are crying, students are crying, three years oh!
“The rate of poverty is very high. The people are hungry. Nigeria will divide!”
In another part of the clip, Amaechi was heard saying there would be a university in his village after the plans to build one in Daura, hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina State, has been concluded.
His voice was heard saying, “This country can never change, I swear. The only way this country can change is in a situation where everybody is killed.
“This country is going nowhere. When Magnus (Abe) was Secretary to the Rivers State Government, I told him that this country is hopeless and helpless and he told me, ‘Oga, stop it’. This cannot be coming from a governor.
“But two months in Abuja, Magnus came to meet me and said, I agree with you; this country is hopeless and helpless. All they do in Abuja is to share money.
“I have already written to the governor of Katsina State and I don’t know why he has not replied to give us the land in Daura for a university in Daura.
“The next university would be in my village. There is a popular saying while we were growing up, that charity begins at home. Will my own begin abroad?”
Amaechi has refused to comment on the matter since the audio leaked last Friday.
The transcript of the recording reads: “These are not things you publish ooo. If you publish them, you will never sit with me any day.
Government’s own official information shows Mr Buhari has presided over a worsening national job situation, with the unemployment rate standing at 23.1 per cent by the third quarter of 2018 up from 18.8 per cent per cent by the end of 2017. However, government officials argue jobs are not dropping but that it is the number of people entering the working age bracket that By 2018, Nigeria has overtaken China and is only behind India, arguably, with the highest number of extremely poor people within one national territory.
In an earlier recording also shared by the Atiku campaign, Mr Amaechi appeared to be describing Mr Buhari as a leader that does not listen and care.
According to the recording: “The president does not listen to anybody. He doesn’t care. You can write what you want to write. The president doesn’t care. Does he read? He will read, he will laugh. He will say ‘come, come and see, they are abusing me here’. “In fact, there was one case of somebody in Onitsha, a trader in Onitsha who couldn’t sell his goats during Sallah. And I was with Oga on the plane and the man was busy abusing Buhari. He said, ‘Amaechi, come, what is my business with Onitsha goat seller?’”
When contacted, David Iyofor, the spokesperson for Mr Amaechi, said the minister’s team was still reviewing the recording and needed more time to do so before commenting on the matter.
Meanwhile, Mr Shaibu said the leaked tape has shown that even the president’s appointees lacked confidence in his ability to transform the country.
He said, “The President should just quit honourably instead of wasting taxpayers monies on a failed reelection bid. “The truth is that the other day, the President confessed that the economy had collapsed under his watch.
“On another occasion, the wife confessed to the fact that, the cabal and not her dearest husband, President Buhari was in-charge of the country and now, the Director General Of his re-election campaign has confessed to the lack of capacity of President Buhari and the dismal failure of his administration. “Truth is, the President has established a record of failures which probably no other President would ever equal or erase. Mrs Aishat Buhari was partially correct when she stated that two people are preventing her husband from performing well. With this audio tape, if the two don’t include her husband then she is not completely being truthful.”
It is not the first time a minister would appear to be expressing no confidence in the leadership of Mr Buhari in a leaked recording.
Former minister for women affairs, Aisha Alhassan, was in a recording – which he admitted – saying she preferred Mr Abubakar to Mr Buhari as president from 2019.
Also, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said that the revelation by Nigeria’s transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, about the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, shows that the President is a bad product.
Amaech was heard in an audio recording to be expressing shocking pessimistic views about Nigeria and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose re-election bid he leads.
Reacting, Fayose said: “When a marketer tells you the product he is marketing is bad and those who used it in the last three and half years are suffering the consequences, what reasonable minds do is to run away from such product. Amaechi, the Chief Marketer of President Buhari has said it all.”
When a marketer tells you the product he is marketing is bad and those who used it in the last three and half years are suffering the consequences, what reasonable minds do is to run away from such product.
Amaechi, the Chief Marketer of President Buhari has said it all.
— Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) January 6, 2019
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Arson: Those Behind It’ll Account For Atrocities -Fubara …Swears In Bipi, Three Others As Commissioners
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that his administration will not fold its hands and watch sponsored political thugs run berserk, committing arson in the State.
The Governor, therefore, assured that, working with the Nigerian Police Force and the Directorate of State Services (DSS), measures will be taken to unravel those behind the recent burning of council Secretariats at Ikwerre, Emohua and Eleme Local Government areas, with a view to making them account for their atrocities.
Governor Fubara gave the assurance while swearing in four new commissioners into the Rivers State Executive Council at Government House in Port Harcourt yestersday.
Those sworn in are Hon. Israel Lebura Ngbuelu, PhD; Hon. Evans Bapakaye Bipi; Barrister Otamiri John Ngubo; and Hon. Barrister Benibo Anabraba.
Governor Fubara recalled mentioning when he sworn-in newly elected Local Government Councils’ Chairmen on 6th October, 2024, that there was intelligence on planned mayhem by misguided persons, who had threatened to prevent the elected officers from resuming duties.
True to it, Governor Fubara said, the sponsored political thugs hatched their plans, and burnt valued buildings at some council secretariats.
He said, “I said it before it happened. I knew because they were unhappy, they would go extra miles to create disaffection in the minds and hearts of the good people of Rivers State.
“We want to also let the people know that what has happened (arson) after the election, we are not going to allow it to go uninvestigated.
“A similar event had happened in this manner before, and after some weeks, some of our supporters were declared wanted in order to turn the story around.
“But this time around, I strongly believe, with the support and cooperation of the Nigerian Police and the Directorate of State Services (DSS), we will unravel those behind the assault and make sure that they account for their atrocities.”
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation for the show of patience and calmness by majority of Rivers people despite the fact that they are angry with the reckless acts of the misguided miscreants.
The Governor said he has continued to show leadership, provided the climate that has engendered productive endeavours, and will not mislead those he is leading.
“As your leader; the one steering the ship, I assure you I will not mislead anyone of you. I still stand on the path of peace. We have cases of arson in some local government areas.
“But, I appreciate your calmness. I have always maintained that we are going to be the greatest losers, if we meet them force-for-force. We need to go with peace.
“So, I will encourage everyone of you not to follow them with violence. We are carrying a basket of precious eggs in our hands. So, we need to follow them with carefulness and wisdom.”
Governor Fubara reiterated what he said the previous day on what should matter most for Rivers State, which is a firm support to ensure that the progress of Nigeria is sustained.
He said, if oil theft is not checked, the country’s economy will be badly impacted, and there will not be funds to address critical issues.
“We are in a situation where the fund that is being generated from oil production is not sufficient to tackle the challenges of Nigeria, and every hand has to be on deck to make sure that there is increase in production.
“Our focus here, not minding the distractions, will be how to provide support. You have to work with us to make sure that we curb this issue of oil theft and pipeline vandalisation.
“This is the only way that the allowances (revenue) will increase and more will also come to our State, and more progress will also be achieved in this State.”
Governor Fubara explained that his administration is doing a lot for the good people of the State, that are not being seen because of the political drama that takes their attention away.
He, however, said that his administration is working out modalities, and will soon choose a day, which could probably be before the end of October, 2024, to showcase a few projects and services that have positively impacted lives in the State.
Governor Fubara congratulated the newly sworn-in commissioners for making it into the Rivers State Executive Council.
He explained that more persons whose loyalty are for Rivers people and the administration needed to be admitted into the Rivers State Executive Council to help drive the policy of government because they will not resign their appointment.
Governor Fubara said: “We want to be sure, at this point, who we are adding into the Council, so that we will not wake up one morning and see resignation letter. So, we are taking our time.
“And usually, after a normal political period, there used to be what we call balancing. So, I can also say that the new Commissioners that are coming in are coming from their zones to also balance the political equation.”
Governor Fubara charged them to be dedicated, forthright, diligent and productive while rendering quality services to the State.
The Governor said he believed in their capacity to deliver because of their exposure to the workings of government, and expressed the hope that they will contribute positively to the success of the administration.
He said, “So, let me thank everyone of you. Let me also use this opportunity to thank the good people of Rivers State for their support, and to assure them that we will continue to defend, protect the interest of Rivers people.
“I want to thank everyone of you for your support, more especially before, during and after the elections. I appreciate your doggedness, your belief in our course to salvage this State, to protect the integrity of this State,” he added.
Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has sought media support to fast-track the implementation of the ongoing reforms in the civil service sector.
Walson-Jack made the request during a cocktail organised by her office for media executives from different organisations in Abuja.
The event, according to her, aimed at interacting with the media men one-on-one, appreciate them and implore them to continue to strengthen the bond with the office.
“I want to start by thanking each and everyone of you for honouring this invitation. I want to say that we purposely designed this grail cocktail so that we can have one-on-one interactions.
“Let me also go ahead to thank you for all the supports you have given to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) in the years past I know that the Fourth Estate of the realm has always supported this office.
“I will also go ahead to thank you for your support, especially at my announcement as the HoCSF and that support has continued, up till date.
“We, therefore, thought it fit that we should organise this event just to interact with you to strengthen the bond that this office has with the media, “ she said.
The HoCSF recalled that her office had continued with programmes she met on ground upon assumption of office, especially the ongoing reforms on Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP- 2022 to 2025).
She, therefore, appealed to the media for continuous reportage on the initiative, so as to give it the necessary publicity for proper dissemination to the citizens.
“You will recall that the office has the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP- 2022 to 2025) and that is the plan that we are still driving.
“We want to request that you collaborate more with us, we are asking that the friendship, the partnership go beyond what it is now to ensure that the reforms which this office is driving get the full publicity it requires,” she said.
Walson-Jack used the medium to announce the preparation to re-introduce the civil service national anthem officially for the entire civil servants to recite at every national programme.
“The anthem has been re-introduced to drive the reforms and it’s expected that the anthem will be sung by all federal civil/public servants and indeed Nigerians.
“And it will be an anthem that will encourage every public servants to be efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred, “ she added.
Participants at the event congratulated Mrs Walson-Jack for her uplifting to the position of the HoCSF and pledged to continue in the relationship.
In a response, Mr Ephraims Sheyin, Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), pledged the agency’s readiness to give the HoCSF the needed support.
According to him, supporting government policies has always been NAN’ priority as government’s owned media organisation.
“You can take it for granted that we are going to give the Office total support. It is part of our own mandates to support Federal Government policies, so we are going to do that fully for the head of service.
“As she said, she has her policies which are in tandem with the federal government policies, she is asking for the support in implementation of the Federal Government policies.
“She has very lofty ideas, she has lofty things that she believes that we should do. Our job is to make sure that whatever government wants to do, we have to support such policies, “ he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Mrs Halima Musa, Director News, NTA, assured her office’s partnership with the Head of service towards ensuring communicating the needed values on excellence, incorruptibility and new culture of efficiency to the public.
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LG Polls: Rogue Policemen Break RSIEC Gate, Strong Room To Steal Electoral Materials …Fubara Foils Attempt To Cart Away Materials
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has foiled an attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1am on Friday, 4th October, 2024.
The rogue policemen were said to have attempted to scale through the gates and strong room of the Commission to cart away sensitive Electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the State.
The deployment was said to have been ordered by the Inspector-General of Police.
However, the evil plots of the rogue policemen and DC Ops were botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers of the Commission and relevant government authorities, who immediately informed the Governor of the development.
The Governor immediately led a team of government officials, lawmakers from the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, top political stakeholders, and other leaders to storm the facility.
Addressing newsmen in front of RSIEC Office on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, after an encounter with the rogue policemen, the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara condemned the conduct of the policemen on illegal duty, saying that the IGP was taking his friendship with some Abuja-based politicians too far.
He restated the position that the attempt to surreptitiously withdraw policemen already deployed to protect the facility, and replace them with a detachment from a neighbouring State was unacceptable.
He reminded the IGP that local government election was the internal affairs of states, and advised him to allow the federation unit conduct its affairs without interference.
At present, the Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and State and National Assembly members, alongside other stakeholders, are manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the rogur policemen in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles do not return and that elections will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.