Rivers State governor, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has said that the issues he raised at the recently held mega rally in Port Harcourt were about governance and not a direct attack on the persons of President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience and the Federal Government.

The Presidency had in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, and signed by presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati described the governor as a rascal and blackmailer, who is always willing to denigrate the office of the President in a reckless attempt to promote his selfish political interest.

But Amaechi, who spoke through the state commissioner for information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, told newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday that he never referred to the persons of the president and his wife, but only referred to issues that have direct bearing on the people of the state.

Semenitari said, “The first thing to say is that clearly, that statement must have been written before the rally. If it wasn’t written before the rally, then I am at a loss as to where Dr Abati saw the so-called statement against the president, his wife and the federal government.

“There was no point during the rally when the wife of the president was mentioned and that was because issues being discussed were not issues about persons but about governance. The issues were in no way related to her as she does not hold any official position in government. Therefore, there is no need referring to her where governance issues are being discussed.

“As regards to Mr President, again, Governor Amaechi did not refer to the president in any personal capacity.”

He did refer to the fact that the Federal Government’s Ministry of Aviation has not completed the remodelling of the Port Harcourt International Airport, which was started at the same time as Enugu, as Lagos, as Kano, as Calabar.”

“He did refer to the fact that the Rivers people were being treated like refugees and we have become internally-displaced persons in our own state and our only offence was that we gave the President two million votes in 2011. He did complain that the Rivers people only feel marginalised, but are poor cousins to the Federal Government. He did complain as to why Rivers people continue not to have the funds that come from their oil wells and the fact that the oil wells that belong to Rivers State were taken to Bayelsa and Abia States.”