Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said yesterday in Port Harcourt that he had never told anybody he wanted to be president in 2015.
He noted that he was only fighting to change the situation in the country.
Amaechi, who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), urged the military not to be involved in politics.
He enjoined them to remain neutral in the struggle by politicians for 2015, stressing that any involvement would have consequences.
The governor spoke when addressing legionnaires and representatives of the Service chiefs in the state, for the 2014 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, whose emblem appeal launch took place yesterday at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre.
The NGF chairman hailed the military for remaining neutral. He prayed that God would bless them for their decision to remain neutral in the country’s politics and advised the police to remain neutral too.
Said he: “I will join you to preach peace. You will see us fighting politically. Why we are fighting is because Nigeria is too big and too rich to remain the way we are. If anybody tells you we are not too big and too rich, the person is lying.
“We are too big and too rich not to be able to provide education for our children. We are too big and too rich not to be able to provide health for our children.
“They say I am fighting because I want to be President. I’ve never told anybody I want to be President. I am fighting just one cause: can we change the cause of Nigeria?
“If the naval officers were here, they would tell you about a ship that is directionless. We cannot continue that way. I am not saying the President is doing well or not doing well. I am talking about the entire political class.”
Amaechi also acknowledged the military’s contributions to unity and nation building. He urged them not to allow their contributions to collapse in the current political debate.
He said: “I will say to you (military men) today that all of you, both serving and retired, in one way or another, contributed to the unity of Nigeria and that you cannot afford to allow disunity.
“I have a very faint idea of what the civil war looked like, because I was born in 1965. My children do not have any idea whatsoever of what the civil war looked like and I do not want them to have any idea at all and God will not allow us to get involved in such a situation.”
The governor also lamented the absence of good leadership, security, water, power, health and other essential needs.
His words: “The greatest source of unity in a country is the military and you have suffered enough to fight for the unity of this country. Do not be involved in politics.”Nigeria is too complicated for the military to be involved in politics. Nigeria, as we are here, we have many ethnic groups. I tell people, I am not Ijaw, I am Ikwerre. There are people who are from Ijaw, there are Hausa, there are Yoruba, there are Isoko and there are Fulani.
“We are too many that if the military should get involved in politics, the consequences will be too much. We thank you for remaining neutral. God will bless you for remaining neutral.
“We urge the police to remain neutral, because the consequences of taking sides will be too much. 2015 is a watershed in the country. All of us seated here must contribute to peace in the country.”
The NGF chairman enjoined well-meaning compatriots to join the race for a better Nigeria.
He was decorated by the State Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Col. Philemon Chinda Omunakwe (rtd.), who lauded him for identifying with the Rivers legionnaires.
The event was attended by the representatives of Service chiefs, including Commissioner of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu.
source: nigerianeye
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