Jonathan’s bodyguard blocked Amaechi for security reasons – Presidency

The Presidency has said that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, was barred from greeting President Goodluck Jonathan during at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, for security reasons.

A bodyguard attached to the President had blocked Ameachi as he advanced to where Jonathan was seated in company of Presidents Joyce Banda of Malawi and Hellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.

But the Presidency say the incident was purely a security issue that should not be politicized.
The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, in an interview with The PUNCH, said it was tantamount to a breach of protocol and security if Amaechi was allowed access to his boss who was already seated before the governor arrived.

Gulak said, “The President has a good relationship with all state governors and he meets with them regularly. The case in point is a pure security issue and it should be treated as a security issue that should not be politicised.

“The question the ACN and others who may want to politicise this issue need to ask is whether the President arrived at the venue of the dinner and was already seated before the governor arrived.

“Usual practice across the world is that once the President arrives a place, nobody whether a governor or not, is allowed entrance. That is the protocol. Even (Barack) Obama of the United States cannot be on his seat and a governor will be allowed to come in.

Culled from The Daily Post