Posted by By Henry Chukwurah, Port Harcourt on
Displaced governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, while handing over the reins of governance to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Tonye Harry late Thursday night in Port Harcourt charged his successor, Rotimi Amaechi to maintain existing peace in the state and sustain the programmes enunciated by his sacked regime.
Displaced governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia, while handing over the reins of governance to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Tonye Harry late Thursday night in Port Harcourt charged his successor, Rotimi Amaechi to maintain existing peace in the state and sustain the programmes enunciated by his sacked regime.
'I have articulated many programmes which will touch the lives of every person who lives and does business in Rivers State . These programmes could be executed by the incoming government because they are sustainable".
Sir Omehia urged the in-coming regime led by his cousin, to sustain the peace his short-lived administration was able to achieve because it is paramount to development.
He thanked the people of the state for the co-operation extended to him during his five months stint as governor and urged that the same support should be extended to his successor.
Sir Omehia in the solemn ceremony thanked President Umaru Yar'Adua for his co-operation and the PDP for choosing him.
He was also full of appreciation for the Joint Task force and other security agencies for their roles in ushering peace into the state.
Receiving the hand-over note, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Harry described the former governor as a statesman and thanked him for his services to the state.
The Speaker assured that the notes would be handed over to the incoming government.
He charged the incoming regime to live up to the people's expectation.
Meanwhile, the new governor arrived the state capital Friday evening from Abuja where he had gone to hold discussions with President Yar'Adua to a rousing welcome by his jubilant supporters.
By as late as 8.15 pm yesterday, the swearing ceremony for the new governor was still underway.
Amaechi, on arriving the state capital, drove in a long convoy of supporters to the new Government House, venue of the swearing in ceremony.