BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT – JUSTICE H.A. Nganjiwa of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, yesterday, ordered the Police to immediately vacate Obio Akpor local government secretariat for work to resume at the place.

In his ruling, Justice Nganjiwa said the Police should allow workers and the Caretaker Committee access to the secretariat pending determination of the matter before the court.
This came as Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State declared yesterday that he would continue to rely on the power of prayer and intervention from God to overcome his political opponents.

The governor who spoke at Government House, Port Harcourt during a solidarity visit and celebration of Holy Mass led by the Catholic Bishop, Diocese of Port Harcourt, Most Reverend Caminus Etekudor said he had always turned to God in the heat of any political crisis.

The judge further said the action of the Police was like using a sledge hammer to kill a fly, adding that the police should provide security for the property in the place. He also ruled that the court had jurisdiction on the matter.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the local government, Mr Chikordi Dike had among other things urged the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the Police from sealing off the place.

At press time yesterday, the Police had not complied with the court order. When Vanguard spoke with the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Angela Agabe, she said the police had not been served any order by the court on the development.

It would be recalled that Police sealed off the secretariat about two weeks ago over allegations of plans by some hoodlums to wreck havoc, an action that caused the Caretaker Committee of the council to approach the court to ask the Police to vacate the place.

I ‘ll continue to deliver on my promise —Amaechi
Governor Amaechi told the visiting Catholic bishop that it took God’s intervention for him to be Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, adding that it was the same prayer that made him governor of the state.

While noting that the intra-party crisis in the state’s Peoples Democratic Party was a mere distraction, Amaechi said: “I believe in the power of prayers. If you look at my political history, you cannot divorce God and prayers from it. If you remember how I became speaker, it was through prayers. Before I became speaker, I was already married to my wife (Dame Judith Amaechi) and she knew how we prayed and fasted together to be speaker. You know the story of the governorship race. What I ask God is that: Why should I go through crisis like this all the time? Why are people not honest in life?
“When I am asked a question, people expect me to tell a lie or bend it a bit, and suddenly it comes out straight. And when it comes out straight, people don’t like it. My Catholic Priest told me that I will account for my soul before God, not even my wife will help me to account for my soul. So if because of you, I bend it a bit, how will I answer to my God?”

He commended the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt for their solidarity and promised to deliver on his promise to God and man describing the activities of his political opponents as a calculated distraction against his government. He also urged members of the State Executive council to remain focused in service delivery to the people of the state.

On the solidarity, Amaechi noted: “The solidarity you have shown to me and my wife today, we can only take it to God. We thank God for your presence. One promise I will make to you is that I will continue to deliver on my promise to God and man, that they can’t take away from us. They are just trying to distract us. You know, usually governors begin well and sometimes end badly. If you allow them to distract us, we will end badly. So don’t you ever listen to anybody, they can’t do anything, know that God is behind us.”
The Catholic Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Most Reverend Caminus Etukudo thanked members of the church for their large turnout for the solidarity and celebration of mass in honour of Governor Amaechi.

“We are not part of politics, but we appreciate that you are not disturbed again, but we will continue to hand you over to God, because your best friend today can become your worst enemy tomorrow and that is politics. But have the courage to change what you can change, and also the serenity to accept what you can not change, ask from God, the wisdom to know the difference”, Caminus said.

Youths protest suspension of LG boss, others

Meantime, hundreds of youths again protested the suspension of the elected Chairman, his vice and councillors of the local government. The youths who caused heavy traffic around the secretariat said they would continue to carry out protest until the State House of Assembly reversed the suspension.

The youths had last week embarked on similar protest to the state House of Assembly where they were addressed by five anti -overnor Chibuike Amaechi lawmakers who also condemned the suspension