By Charles Kumolu
FORMER Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, has criticised the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi for what he described as his (Amaechi’s) attempt to deceive Nigerians and Rivers people in particular at the recent state’s Summit on Information and Communication.

He described some issues raised by Amaechi at the summit as tissue of lies, saying that he was saddened that the Governor’s statements were unfortunate.

The former Secretary to the State Government, in a statement, yesterday, challenged the Governor to a debate where contending issues would be debated.

According to him,“I listened to Governor Ameachi’s address at the River State government sponsored summit on Information and Communication live on AIT. I was saddened by the fact that most of the Governor’s statements were most unfortunately a tissue of lies designed to deceive the generality of Nigerians and Rivers people in particular.”

“I was, however, gladdened by the Governor’s open challenge to a public debate on the issues. As a former Secretary to the River State government at a time when Amaechi was the Speaker of the House of Assembly, I humbly accept this challenge,” he said.

I am ready and willing to debate the issues with the governor at a forum moderated by the national secretariat of either the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, or the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIP.”
Continuing, Sekibo said: “It is my hope that the governor will not insist on any of the advantages of incumbency and immunity and will allow the mutually chosen institution to freely work out the date and modalities of this most important debate.”