Is Amaechi underrated at the Federal Government level?

Obviously, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State is not confused as most politicians in Nigeria are. His achievement for the return of social 'night life” in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, is commendable. This achievement is just one among the hordes in his profile, as governor. For the past months, Nigerian media are awash with the peaceful co-existence in the state, as against the dreadful news of militancy that once characterised the state. A mindless government would not have minded the need for a relative peace in the state and the lives and property of other Nigerians living in the state. Amaechi has exercised magnanimous forbearance in making sure that peace was returned in the state.

No matter what traducers of his government might be saying, Amaechi had refused making an offer that could endanger Nigeria, to the militants. He made an offer that Nigerians of goodwill didn't refuse (stop criminality). He didn't allow the agitation for the control over the natural resources and environment and the destructive and thieving notion established by the alleged militants elude Nigeria. But, to this, some yesmen of Rivers State origin residing in Abuja are preaching the obverse to tarnish his image.

Amaechi regarded militancy as an irresponsible move against the Federal Government of Nigeria, but didn't hide his voice for a true agitation for the emancipation of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, where criminality would be on errand. Amaechi saw militancy as an act that was targeted against the Federal Government and as a bad policy that was capable of establishing lingering repercussion in the whole country if not checked with fierce measure. Amaechi ignored to extend any olive garden to the people he described as 'criminals'. He refused to abide by their pressure so that posterity does not, in any form of future agitation, say unless you carry arms and use force, you would not be heard.

Let the few indigenes of Rivers State in Abuja that are against Amaechi not deceive us. Their greed for power and their perceived corruption is unimaginable. Amaechi has made it his responsibility to take care of development in Rivers State. His government has a responsibility for welfare of all the citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the state. He has not allowed anything short of this brew seeds for anarchy. He follows the constitution of the country that those who have committed crimes and have taken lives should be held accountable if any court of competent jurisdiction found them culpable. He seems not to have come to plunder, and have refused certain people the chance to plunder.

This writer sees Amaechi as a man who hates any form of betrayal in the first place. It is very bad among politicians who can't impact positively on the lives of our suffering masses. It is no longer news that the dreams and aspiration of Amaechi are noble, and indeed, he has been delivering. He has abrogated the-over-the-years enthusiastic and ears-inspiring speeches of politicians before him, which nothing happened then. The aspersion that, the residents of Rivers State, live in perpetual fear from the menacing of militancy, have gone on errand. Security is a number one priority in the state which Amaechi is seriously addressing. Measures are being put in place so that honest and law abiding Nigerians residing in Rivers State do feel saved.

Amaechi is making sure that there is availability of employment by setting up industries. There should also be loans given to genuine people with a business plan for gainful self-employment. Amaechi should give positions to people deserving them, that can actually do the job and not to favouritisms.

Amaechi should be commended as he was reportedly to have urged the chief executives of federal tertiary institutions to be dedicated to their responsibilities as developers of – the nation's health sector. And all of us Nigerians should take as priority Amaechi's advise that, the development of the health sector, which is one of the tools that would be used to assess the Millennium Development Goals (MGD's), depends on the performance of the heads of federal tertiary hospitals. Amaechi has always advised that Nigerians should assess their inputs, and work on areas that need more attention. He said these things through his Deputy, Tele Ikuru.

This writer have not forgotten March 2009, when Amaechi said that the reason government decided to buy some of the buildings around state hospital projects under construction in the state was to create more space for the building of Doctors' quarters, car park for visitors and landscaping befitting of a modern hospital. Was this not to work for the unity of the country?

And we must advise any contractor handling works in the state to work in affirmative with the rules of the state government. His wife, Lady Judith Amaechi, should also help assiduously to making sure that this government achieve more works, as she has always bent on the work for humanity, and should stop any form of agitation against the men in power.

Amaechi's wife had solicited the support of parents and religious organization on May 27, 2010 in implementing the child rights act recently domesticated in the state. She gave a warning that, it is criminal for parents to prevent children from going to school, parents must respect the child rights. For Nigeria's unity Amaechi' wife said that her NGO, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), will collaborate with other government agencies to team up against parents who

subject their children to child labour.


Her words: “Am aware that some children are still subjected to some level of child labour, we shall set up monitoring team and ensure that parents of such child are brought to book”.

It was commendable all over the nation when she said despite all effort to actualize gender equality and equality in politics, women appeared not to have achieved success due to lack of unity and greed; women are more sentimental than men and had deployed this belief adversely toward attaining political relevance.

It is the first of its kind that Amaechi had appointed a Commissioner married to Igboman in Rivers State; and Mr. Innocent Anyanwu as Perm Sec. Amaechi is charting a course to give Nigerians a voice in Rivers State, by also delivering 60 projects to 60 communities in 60 days; saving N27b for the future use of the state and bring in multitude of Northerners he sponsors every year for pilgrimage; the recent colloquium on Professor Chinua Achebe and his promise to present him as a gift to Nigeria are among. (The hope of having non-indigene commissioners in Rivers State is also hoped).

Governor Amaechi has done greatly for the betterment of the country, but it seems that some people are hoodwinking the Federal Government in making sure that his achievements bite the dust in the eyes of the Federal Government. But this will never happen! We must resist!!

Odimegwu Onwumere is Coordinator, Concerned Non-Indigenes in Rivers State (CONIRIV). Mobile: +2348032552855. Email: [email protected]