Amaechi:
Tortuous Journey to The Next Level
By Eze
Chukwuemeka Eze
Preamble
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| Eze Chukwuemeka Eze |
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The idea to
write on the above topic came from a friend and a sister who is described in
some quarters as an enfant terrible,
the pen terror and the new face of political struggle and emancipation of Rivers
State, Lady Oby Adaoha Ndukwu, Publisher of the ChangeAgent magazine and the
Beam newspapers. According to this great lady, “Nigerians need to know the
truth about the tortuous road that Amaechi passed through to get to this level
and the fact remains that if this can be achieved by anybody based on the short
notice, it is only you that can achieve such feat. So, please, try and educate
the world on this aspect of the life of this enigma of a man.”
I accepted this
challenge not minding that this suggestion came when I was on the road to see
my family that I left for the past four months, to seek medical attention for
my health challenge. This work, therefore, was done while plying the horrifying
and death trap bequeathed to Nigerians by the PDP through Dr Jonathan’s
administration, called federal roads in Nigeria. With the torture and horrendous
experience during my eight hours trip, I will like to counsel that Babtunde
Fashola the new Minister of works must be banned from flying any aircraft,
except on emergencies, if he must understand the pitiable state of our federal
roads and save Nigerians from the carnage that takes place on most of the
federal roads on daily basis. This is a subject matter for another day.
Profiling Rt Hon
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON, Hon Minister of Transport
Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi, who was on Nov. 11, 2015 sworn-in as Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of
Transport, was born in Ubima, Ikwerre Local
Government Area of Rivers State, to the family of late Elder Fidelis Amaechi
and Mrs Mary Amaechi. University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, was
where Amaechi laid the foundation of his political life, participating actively
in student union politics, especially in the National Union of Rivers State Students
(NURSS), of which he was president, and the National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS). After graduation, he cut his teeth in politics as secretary of
the now defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in Ikwerre Local
Government Area of Rivers State, from 1992 to 1994. He was Special Assistant to
Dr Peter Odili, then deputy governor of Rivers State; member of the Board of
West Africa Glass Industry as well as Risonpalm Nigeria Limited. He was
secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the Rivers State Chapter of the
disbanded Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) in 1996 during the transition
programme of the Gen Sani Abacha junta.
In 1999, Amaechi
contested and won a seat to become a member of the Rivers State House of
Assembly to represent his constituency. He was subsequently elected Speaker of
the House of Assembly as well as Chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers
of State Assemblies. He was re-elected into the State House of Assembly in May
2003 and equally re-elected Speaker. A master’s degree holder, Amaechi’s
assumption of office as governor, based on a Supreme Court judgement after the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dumped him, despite his convincingly winning the
party’s gubernatorial ticket, remains a mystery to many political watchers in
the country. By May 29th, 2015 Amaechi would have spent eight years as governor
of Rivers State. He is currently Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
(NGF). His unprecedented feats in the transformation of Rivers State have won
him many international and local awards as well as the respect of great world
and Nigerian leaders.
Amaechi was the
rallying force behind mobilising the governors under PDP to support the
presidential aspiration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan during the PDP Presidential
Primaries that produced Jonathan as the PDP flag-bearer and during the 2011
presidential election proper ensured that President Jonathan got over 2 million
votes from Rivers State – the highest by any state in Nigeria. A misunderstood
but an amiable personality; his forthrightness and boldness to stand by the
truth attracts so much enemies to him, particularly those who cannot withstand
his manner of approach to result-oriented feats. His numerous ‘sins’ will be
highlighted later.
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| Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi |
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Amaechi, holder
of the National honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), is a
Christian of the Catholic faith where he is a Knight of St John. Amaechi was
appointed Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign. The team led the party to
victory in the March 28, 2015 presidential election in which a sitting
president was roundly defeated for the first time.
Tortuous road to the next level
These are some of the roads that Amaechi passed through to
become whatever he is by today in the politics of Nigeria.
1999 State House of
Assembly election
Signs of the
mission of Governor Amaechi in the politics of Nigeria started when FEDECO, the
then electoral umpire, announced Uche Okwukwu, a lawyer, of the defunct APP winner
of the State House of Assembly election of the Ikwerre Constituency in place of
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of PDP. Amaechi contested this at the then Election
Tribunal and the Court of Appeal and won, and was subsequently sworn-in as
member, State House of Assembly representing Ikwerre Constituency. Thus, began
his political struggles through the courts. Reacting to this, Okwukwu stated:
“Yes, I contested against the present governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Like I said, the Court of Appeal said I didn’t win and I should not be in the
Rivers State House of Assembly. So, as a lawyer, by my training, I have since
accepted the verdict of the court, particularly, when you do not have the right
to appeal beyond that point.”
Battle over control
of local governments
In 2003,
Governor Amaechi came up with another feat through the courts. When the
National Assembly moved to hijack the legislative functions of the State House
of Assembly as enshrined in the constitution. He led his colleagues to
take the matter to Nigeria’s Supreme Court, and the court gave a judgement that
the control and supervision of local government is the prerogative of the State
House of Assembly.
His most celebrated Supreme Court ruling
A lot of
articles and statements were written following the ‘k-leg’ episode that was the
outright hijack of the 2007 PDP gubernatorial ticket from Amaechi ahead of the
April 14, 2007 election in Rivers State. This occurred despite his landslide
victory at the primaries, where he clinched 6,527 of the 6,575 possible votes
while seven other aspirants that included political heavyweights like Hon Chief
Austin Okpara, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, late
Senator Martin Yellowe, Pawariso Horsfall and Mr. Chris Orji shared the
remaining 48 votes among themselves. Amaechi’s name was subsequently forwarded
to the INEC on December 14, 2006 in compliance with Section 32(1) & (2) of
the Electoral Act 2006. INEC, thereafter, duly published Amaechi’s name as the
gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State.
The story,
however, took a different turn when, speaking at the presentation of the party
flag to its gubernatorial candidate at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt,
former President and then “Emperor” of PDP, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd),
declared that Amaechi’s candidacy had ‘k-leg.’ Following this outright abuse of
office, the dreaded bulldog that was the Nuhu Ribadu-led Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) was let loose on Amaechi, resulting in his decision to
seek legal redress for his travails. Suffice to say, Amaechi went on self-exile
to Ghana, and the powers that be further showed their contempt for him by
selecting his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, who neither purchased nor filled a
form, as PDP flag-bearer in his stead.
Amaechi’s
vindication came with the October 25, 2007 landmark ruling by the Nigerian
Supreme Court, declaring him as not only the authentic flag-bearer of PDP but
also ordering that he be sworn-in immediately to replace Omehia, who had
previously been sworn-in on May 29, 2007 as the Governor of Rivers State. Thus,
Amaechi became the first and only person to occupy the office of governor in
the country without standing for election. In explaining the ruling, the
Supreme Court has since stated that it is the party that contests elections and
that the PDP won the gubernatorial elections, and that, consequently, Amaechi,
being the rightful candidate, should assume power as governor.
This epochal
feat stands as Amaechi’s greatest input towards the growth of judiciary in the
political life of Nigeria, as it has become a reference case in determining
similar cases in Nigeria today.
Undemocratic
suspension from PDP
When the PDP
national leadership undemocratically decided to suspend Governor Amaechi from
the party without any sound reason on May 27, 2013 and was to follow it up with
expulsion. He resorted to the courts, once again, to stop them from taking any
further step on his case until he decided to join APC. The suspension of
Amaechi from the party was agreed during an unscheduled and unusually early
morning meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at the
residence of the then National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The meeting
commenced at 8:00 am and came two days ahead of the regular meeting of the NWC,
which normally holds on Wednesdays. It was also three days after Amaechi beat
the odds with his re-election as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. He
had been allegedly opposed by the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) ahead of the
election.
The governor’s
suspension was hinged on what the party described as his refusal to order the
reinstatement of members of the Obio Akpor Local Government executive who were
suspended from office on the orders of the Rivers State House of Assembly upon
allegations of corruption raised against the LG executive. Hours after the
suspension was announced, the party, at a press conference, said that it had
constituted a committee headed by Mr Joe Gadzama, SAN, to probe allegations
raised against Amaechi. Other members of the committee were PDP National Legal
Adviser, Victor Kwon; Inalegwu Onche, Friday Nwosu, Udorji Amedu, Ola Kukuyi,
Wakil Mohammed, Yusuf Jangwe, Mr Bola Doherty, Mr Tanimu Adamson and Anicho
Okoro as secretary.
Reacting to his
suspension during an interactive session with youths of the state, Amaechi
asked: “Who has power to suspend Obio/Akpor council? Now you see political witch-hunting.
It is so ridiculous; my party must rise above political witch-hunting. The
governor did not suspend Obio/Akpor council, I hope you know. My power is to
dissolve and remit it to the House of Assembly, but I have not done that yet,
what the Assembly has said is ‘we are investigating corruption’ then the party
says we should not investigate corruption: Is that fair?” He went further to
state that the NWC issued a press statement to suspend him without any
invitation and fair hearing. His words: “I was not invited by the National
Working Committee of PDP; I was not given fair hearing. What I heard was ‘why
did I refuse to reinstate the suspended Obio/Akpor Council executive? Who
suspended them?’ His questions received the enthusiastic response of the youths
who chorused: “The Rivers State House of Assembly.” Again, the governor asked:
“Who has the power to investigate Obio/Akpor council executive?” The youths
again replied: “The State Assembly.”
It was this
suspension of Governor Amaechi from PDP, not minding all that he did to uplift
the party that started the decimation of PDP and its reduction from a ruling
national political party to an opposition regional political party.
Intrigues in appointment of Justice Agumagu as Chief Judge
Rivers
The
indefatigable and indomitable Chibuike Amaechi recently started another legal
battle, but this time with the National Judicial Council (NJC). Like other
cases involving Amaechi, this case is unprecedented in the annals of judicial
adjudication, and Nigerians are watching with keen interest to see how he may
win it.
Based on the
Federal High Court ruling approving Justice Peter Nwoke Chukwuma Agumagu as the
Chief Judge of Rivers State, Amaechi supervised his formal swearing-in
ceremony. However, after few days, the NJC came up with a verdict suspending
the newly-appointed Chief Judge. This, again, is unprecedented in the history
of appointment of chief judges in any other state in Nigeria.
Transfer of Rivers’
oil wells to Akwa Ibom
As the serving Governor
of Rivers State, Amaechi caused his attorney-general to challenge the transfer
of some oil wells from Rivers State to Akwa Ibom State. The Supreme Court
eventually ruled in favour of Rivers State in that case.
Travails in the hands of Jonathan
Despite his
great show of love to former President Jonathan, former Governor Amaechi was
subjected to monumental humiliation by the Jonathan Administration. A few
examples: The plane of the Rivers State Government was grounded for no just
cause; the PDP structure in Rivers State was taken away from Amaechi and his
election as the chairman of NGF duly certified and acknowledged worldwide was
annulled by President Jonathan and his cohorts. As if that was not enough,
Amaechi was suspended from a party he so much loved and spent so much to build.
Indeed, if not for divine providence, he would have been illegally impeached by
five legislators in a House of 32 members; a Police Commissioner by name Mr
Joseph Mbu was posted to Rivers State to haunt, insult and abuse him publicly,
calling him a despot. What is more, governors that came to visit him were
stoned! In the eyes of Nigerians, Amaechi stands as a great man while in the
eyes of those haunting him he is a persona non grata.
To an
illustrious son of the State and former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof
Tam David-West, Amaechi is an innocent man and his travails illustrate the
Nigerian paradox where excellence is relegated to the background and mediocrity
is elevated. His words: “I’m particularly worried about the trend, not only
because I am a Rivers State elder, not only because I am a strong supporter of
Amaechi without any regret, I am also worried as a Nigerian, because what is
happening to Amaechi underscores a terrible Nigerian paradox: which I call the
paradox of excellence. We support him because those of us who grew up in Port
Harcourt as a famous ‘Garden City’ knew how the city changed to a rotten city.
And Amaechi, who is also a Port Harcourt boy, returned the city back to its
glorious ‘Garden City’ status. Any person that does not realise this is not
only blind but terrible.” This great sage reminded Amaechi’s opponents that he
who laughs last, laughs best, stating with emphasis that the governor would
laugh last because his first name, Chibuike, means ‘God is strength’.”
Why Amaechi joined
APC
The desperation
of the PDP leadership to completely destroy Amaechi led to his departure,
alongside six other PDP governors, to form the New PDP, with five of them later
joining the mega opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress.
Explaining why he joined APC, Governor Amaechi said:
“Unfortunately, recent events within the PDP have given me reason to
reconsider our collective interest as people of the South-South and, indeed a
Rivers people. At various times, as the one whom you gave your
mandate, I had cause to complain about the marginalisation of our state
and our people, despite our huge contribution to the national coffers and our
unflinching commitment and support for the ruling PDP. While the political
and economic importance of Rivers State cannot be contested, we continue
to hold the shorter end of the stick.
“A few instances may
suffice: Our demand that the Federal Government return oil wells belonging to
Rivers State to us has gone unheeded and been treated with levity under this
administration. Rather, our oil wells have been ceded to Bayelsa, Abia and Akwa
Ibom states. Even after we got a judgment that the oil wells were wrongly
ceded to Akwa Ibom State and should be returned to us; only dry wells that were
no longer producing oil were returned.
“In the specific case
of the Soku oil wells, despite a decision reached that the monies should
remain in an escrow account till all matters concerning it are resolved, the
Federal government continues to pay neighbouring Bayelsa State the
revenues meant for Rivers State in a classic case of robbing Peter to pay
Paul. It is indeed noteworthy that we have made several representations
formally and informally on this matter.
“A second
instance is the total absence of federal presence in Rivers State. The
‘National Good Governance Tour’ provided a good opportunity for the
Federal Government to showcase its presence in Rivers State. The tour, if
nothing else, proved that there was not much to show in a state that is the
cash cow of the federation. The East-West Road remains abandoned, work has been
deliberately slow on the Port Harcourt International Airport, the third busiest
airport in the country, while all airports started along with it have long been
completed and commissioned. The Bonny-Bomu Road that leads to the only
functional liquefied natural gas project remains uncompleted. In the midst of
all these, our administration went ahead to fix federal roads to the tune of
N103 billion. Several representations and letters after, not one kobo has been
repaid. The Federal Government is actively discouraging investments in Rivers
State.”
Challenges of ministerial nomination and confirmation
Chief Nyesom
Wike’s desperation to drag Amaechi’s name in the mud in order to frustrate his
nomination or appointment as a minster, made he (Wike) to sponsor a satanic
documentary on Amaechi aired on Africa Independent Television (AIT). This
satanic documentary was part of Wike’s propaganda war against Amaechi, for
which he earmarked billions of naira in his wicked plot to destroy and decimate
the person and character of Amaechi. Other propaganda tools planned and
deployed during this period, in the war against Amaechi, include sponsored
publications such as advertorials, columns, editorials and Op-Ed articles in
major international, national and local print media; sponsored personality
discussion programmes in the electronic media and sponsored special
documentaries on television and radio through independent groups and
organisations.
This insidious
plot by Wike include commissioning a team made up of persons within and outside
Rivers State to ‘initiate, formulate and contrive false damaging reports
bordering on alleged corrupt practices by Amaechi, which were circulated to
individuals and institutions within Nigeria and abroad with a view to damaging
the incorruptible character and rising profile of Hon Rotimi Amaechi, in order
to blackmail and put pressure on President Buhari not to appoint the former
governor into his government. These cooked reports to the shock of many
Nigerians was sent to the Senate and presented through one misguided
Senator Thompson Sekibo, which the Senate referred to the Ethics Committee of the
Senate, which caused the delay in Amaechi’s screening and confirmation as a
minister. Amaechi has through both the immediate past Secretary to the
Rivers State Government, George Feyi, and the Commissioner for Finance, Dr
Chamberlain Peterside, and others denied any form of corruption against him by
Wike and his cohorts.
Wike did not
stop at these but went further to set up Justice George Omereji Panel, to
investigate the administration of Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi. Though the panel did
not found any wrong-dealing, or corrupt practices by Amaechi, Wike went ahead
to issue a white paper indicting him of embezzling the sum of N53 billion, How
on earth can someone in his right senses describe funds withdrawn with the
approval of the legislature and spent as prescribed by the state budget to be
missing? Wike, in his desperation to stop Amaechi’s appointment as a minister,
resorted to dancing naked in the market place.
But as God will
have it, and contrary to the expectations of Chief Wike and his gang of
miserable ingrates, their ferocious campaign to blackmail, disparage and
portray Amaechi as a very corrupt person unfit to be appointed as a
Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, failed to achieve the desired
objective; as on September 30, 2015 President Muhammadu Buhari went ahead to
list and submit the name of Chibuike Amaechi along with those of 20 other great
Nigerians as ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
And to the shock and
chagrin of Wike and his cohorts, the Senate, after three sittings on the
ministerial screening of the ministerial nominees, screened Amaechi on October
22, 2015 and formally confirmed him on October 29, 2015. He was
subsequently sworn-in with the 35 other ministers on Wednesday, November 11,
2015, by President Buhari, who as a further mark of confidence in the Lion of
Ubima assigned to him the strategically important Ministry of Transportation.
Amaechi as Minister
of Transportation
Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi, who was on Nov. 11, 2015 sworn-in as Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of
Transport pledged to complete all ongoing rail projects around the
country and extend rail lines to all parts of the country.
Amaechi made the pledge during his first day in
office as minister shortly after his inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari
in Abuja on 11th November, 2015. He has since resumed work as the
Minister of Transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 17th
November 201 with a meeting with the Permanent Secretary and the Directors to
look at the budget and its level of implementation. The meeting is necessary to
chart a new course toward completing all ongoing projects, especially the rail
and extending it to different part of the country.
Amaechi, however, called for cooperation from all
parastatals and agencies of the ministry and the aviation sector. He promised
to ensure a smooth working relationship with the Minister of State for Aviation
for the development of the sector as well as meeting the expectations of
Nigerians.
The minister also urged the staff to always play by rule, adding that “I belief
in principles of discharging my duties. We are interested in completing all
ongoing rail projects around the country because we don’t want to disappoint
Nigerians. It is important that we realise that we have a mandate to deliver on
our promises and there is competition among the ministers to deliver and we
don’t want to take last. Amaechi also emphasised on the issue of corruption,
warning that anybody that would work with him must not approach him for money.
the Rivers State APC Chapter in a press statement of 12th November,
2015 congratulated her leader, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on his
historical appointment as a Minister of Transportation, “We heartily congratulate our leader on
his meritorious appointment as Honourable Minister of Transport while at the
same time extending our heartfelt gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for
his confidence in Amaechi. We wish to assure Mr. President and all Nigerians
that Amaechi, who has a track record of performance, will deliver even beyond
expectations if given the necessary cooperation,” Rivers APC said in a
statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya. Drawing Amaechi’s
attention to some of the most pressing problems that deserve his attention, Rivers
APC noted that he is assuming office as Minister of Transport at a time when
the Port Harcourt International Airport is rated as the worst in the world and
the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the seventh worst on the
African continent, while the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is
ranked 10th worst on the continent. “This is not acceptable to us
and we wish that Amaechi quickly corrects this shameful anomaly imposed on us
by the immediate past visionless administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and
his misguided Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the party said.
Continuing, the party said: “Amaechi is coming in as the
Transport Minister at a time when the railway system is moribund and the
maritime sector in a chaotic state. We know what Amaechi is made of and we
expect him not only to turn around the fortunes of the railways but also to do
same to the maritime sector.”
The party appealed to all Rivers people and the entire
Nigerian population to accord Minister Amaechi all the support and prayers he
needs to enable him translate his magic wand exhibited at the state level to
the national level for the benefit of all Nigerians. It equally congratulated
the 35 other ministers and called on Nigerians to give them every needed cooperation
to deliver and make Nigerians feel the positive change promised by APC.
Conclusion
To the chagrin of Wike,
PDP senators and other enemies of progress, Amaechi is today the Minister of
Transportation. I salute the faith of President Buhari towards his son, and I
am convinced that Amaechi will work assiduously with other ministers to rebuild
this nation and bring hope to our battered economy. Let me formally conclude
this treatise with the statement of President Buhari during one of his visits
to Rivers State.
He said: “PDP
decided to target some governors that are progressives and we feel will make a
difference. We seek your support through Amaechi. I lived in Port Harcourt
during my military career. I was a Staff Officer to Gen Danjuma in 1973. Rivers
State has produced great men such as Professor Tam David West. 2015 will be
another watershed in Nigeria. Amaechi is a great leader. We decided to come
together to save Nigeria from misgovernance. We must come together and make
Nigeria move forward.
“Amaechi has
given Rivers people responsible leadership. The schools he has built will give
Rivers children a better tomorrow, while women and children stand to benefit
from the standard health centres he has built. He has also carried out physical
rehabilitation of infrastructures in the state. People like Amaechi should join
the APC to move Nigeria forward.”
