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'We'll Take Fight to Militants' Base'


This Day (Lagos)


NEWS
31 December 2007
Posted to the web 2 January 2008

By Ahamefula Ogbu
Port Harcourt

Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has warned that henceforth, his
administration would take the fight against cultists, militants and other
criminal elements in the state to the creeks.

Amaechi said he would no longer wait for militants to attack innocent citizens
while pursuing their legitimate means of livelihood.He also vowed to prosecute
any sponsor named by anymilitant arrested in the course of ridding the stateof
the criminal elements, no matter how highly placedsuch an individual might be.



Amaechi said this at the thanksgiving service organised to celebrate the
survival of his Chief of Staff, Mr Nyesom Wike, at the St Peters Anglican
Church, Rumueprikom, in Obio/Akpor Local government area of the state.Wike
escaped death by the whiskers when gunmen waylaidhim five weeks ago, at the
popular Garrison junction at about 9.30p.m., while returning home after work,
and shattered his Prado jeep with bullets.

He said "we would not wait for them to attack innocent persons indiscriminately
anymore; we will take the fight to them in their camps and anywhere they are
until we dislodge them," he said and pleaded with the people to be patient with
him, as he was doing a lot of things toensure their convenience.

He assured the people that he was going to restore the state's lost glory
through prosperity and job creation, in addition to the building of "New Port
Harcourt" with all the needed facilities to decongest the city.

Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt Reverend
Ignatius Kattey, in his sermon, said Wike should thank God who spared his life,
as not many people could have survived such an attack.

He charged the administration not to allow itself tobe derailed by sycophants,
but be focused and serve thepeople according to God's directives.


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