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abujagirl
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The NATION reported that Governor Rotimi Amaechi alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan turned down the request of Rivers State elders to attend the centenary celebration of Port Harcourt City last November, hence, his decision to boycott the events marking Nigeria’s centenary.
Amaechi added that elders also appealed to President Jonathan to leave him(Amaechi) alone.
Speaking during the 70th birthday celebration of former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Nimi Dimkpa Briggs, Governor Amaechi said, declining the invitation for Nigeria’s centenary was meant to save the faces of the elders whom he said the president should have honoured by attending the Port Harcourt programme.
"People are asking why I did not attend the last centenary celebration?, I said, five prominent Rivers men, left here to go and invite the president, when they approached me that they were going to invite the President, I told them, don’t bother your head, the President won’t come, they said no, not after he had seen them", Amaechi added.
"They are Justice (Adolphus) Karibi Whyte, Prof. Tekena Tamuno, Prof. T. K. Alagoa, Prof. Nimi Briggs and Chief Agbaru; they were very well received by our President and when they came back and told me how they went; I was expectant, everybody at the Federal Government told me the President was going to come, but he didn’t come.
"So I told myself I was not going to attend the Nigerian centenary because Port Harcourt turned 100, the President refused to come even though he grew up here. I did not attend because of you, I wanted to respect your age, I was bothered that Mr. President should have respected you and honoured that invitation.
Amaechi added that elders also appealed to President Jonathan to leave him(Amaechi) alone.
Speaking during the 70th birthday celebration of former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Nimi Dimkpa Briggs, Governor Amaechi said, declining the invitation for Nigeria’s centenary was meant to save the faces of the elders whom he said the president should have honoured by attending the Port Harcourt programme.
"People are asking why I did not attend the last centenary celebration?, I said, five prominent Rivers men, left here to go and invite the president, when they approached me that they were going to invite the President, I told them, don’t bother your head, the President won’t come, they said no, not after he had seen them", Amaechi added.
"They are Justice (Adolphus) Karibi Whyte, Prof. Tekena Tamuno, Prof. T. K. Alagoa, Prof. Nimi Briggs and Chief Agbaru; they were very well received by our President and when they came back and told me how they went; I was expectant, everybody at the Federal Government told me the President was going to come, but he didn’t come.
"So I told myself I was not going to attend the Nigerian centenary because Port Harcourt turned 100, the President refused to come even though he grew up here. I did not attend because of you, I wanted to respect your age, I was bothered that Mr. President should have respected you and honoured that invitation.
