Daily Independent (Lagos)
Austin Oboh
2 July 2009
Lagos — Leader of Organised Opposition in Rivers State,Tonye Princewill, has brokered peace between the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Ijaw leader, Mujahideen Dokubo-Asari thereby ending the long-drawn rift between the two.
According to the Publicity Secretary of Action Congress (AC) in Rivers State, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, Princewill brought the two leaders for a dialogue during which they resolved to work together for the common good of the state.
Eze disclosed that several efforts by Princewill to bring the two together, had not been successful.
"Unperturbed the Prince persisted culminating in a feat that needs to be thoroughly celebrated considering that hitherto these two giants in their own rights have been on non-speaking terms," Eze added.
He stated that Princewill personally drove Asari to visit with the governor at his private residence in Port Harcourt for the historic meeting, where they were warmly received by Amaechi.
"After normal pleasantries the trio retired to the governor's inner room where various issues bordering on their past and the need to move the state forward were exhaustively discussed.
"Princewill reminded both of them that he was the one most impacted by their impasse and wanted them to benefit from the wisdom they were both independently giving him.
"He reminded Asari that he was one of those who made him to withdraw his petition against the PDP to support Amaechi.
Princewill also reminded Amaechi how despite his reservations, Asari had invoked his respect on many an occasion, concluding that the two leaders have so much common ground, that the search for harmony between them could no longer remain elusive.
Asari who confirmed his initial support had faded, pointed out that this had been due to his perceived lack of appreciation to the then AC gesture, the lopsidedness with respect to development for people in the riverine areas and Amaechi's definition of all involved in the struggle as criminals regardless of whose ox was gored.
He further reiterated that as his initial disposition showed, he had no problem with Amaechi even though his dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court had been on record. This quite frankly was not dissimilar to his dissatisfaction on the elections. Therefore it didn't take much persuasion by his cousin, Prince Tonye Princewill to honour the invitation to dialogue with Amaechi.
Responding the governor expressed his joy at the meeting and commended Princewill for initiating the dialogue in his effort to achieve lasting peace in the state.
He stressed that he had stated on many an occasion that the case for agitation though clear-cut, had been jaundiced by the process of systematically decimating the state and the wider region.
This he said informed his decision on zero tolerance for subversive acts and the tag of criminals for all perpetrators and offered Asari a personal tour of the state to witness firsthand the ongoing projects spread across the 23 local government areas with the objective of disproving all notions of marginalisation of any part of the state.
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