Governor Rotimi Amaechi stirred a
frenzy among his colleagues involved in the peer review mechanism of the
Nigerian Governors Forum. The strides in education, health, agriculture among
others that were at one time praised are now beclouded by the political
intrigues following the succession...
It was undoubtedly a hostile
takeover facilitated by the highest authorities in the country during the
recent general elections. The determination of the erstwhile political
leadership to stop the emergence of a successor supported by former Governor
Rotimi Amaechi was understandable. If for anything, Amaechi was the main
facilitator of the pendulum that swung against a second term for President
Goodluck Jonathan. It was as such not surprising when every form of force
allegedly including dire instructions to an Assistant Inspector General of
Police were made to ensure that the All Progressives Congress, APC governorship
candidate, Dakuku Peterside did not have a chance in the governorship election
that followed Jonathan’s well applauded concession.
Nyesom Wike who emerged as
governor in the still disputed governorship election, remarkably, was a one
time ally of Amaechi but has now turned into what is unarguably, the former
governor’s most potent foe.
The bitterness between the two
camps dragged on till the takeover with Amaechi refusing to appear at the
handing over ceremony. Amaechi was reported to have handed over to the
Permanent Secretary in the Government House, a development that was not well
applauded among many stakeholders. Even more, the transition team of Wike
reported not to have received much help from the Amaechi administration.
Wike and Amaechi
Amaechi and Wike
Whether for that or for other
outstanding reasons flowing from the mutual distrust and hatred that has
shadowed their relationship, the new Wike administration has in the eyes of
some been on an offensive against the legacies erected by the preceding regime.
The legacy of developments in
education, healthcare, agriculture that was erected during the Amaechi
administration have remarkably become clouded by the political undercurrents of
the moment.
Despite a mixed record in his
tenure as minister of state for education, Wike is believed to be using his
present brief as governor to impress and develop a pro people impression with
all sorts of activities mostly aimed at wooing the people.
The thinking among many is that
the Wike administration is conscious of the fact that the governorship election
may not stand upon widely reported allegations of malpractices and so, is
determined to use the time he has before a possible annulment to woo the
electorate that he can work and perform.
That inclination is bound to be
troubling for the Peterside camp given the fleeting inclination of the average
Nigerian voter.
The Peterside camp it is observed
is bound to also stir the electorate to remember the spate of violence that
helped Wike to victory. The Peterside camp is also bound to urge Rivers State
voters to reflect on the testimonies of Amaechi’s strides in office as given by
some of serving and former governors.
Amaechi it is remembered,
initiated the revolution in public education with the construction of nearly
500 state of the art model primary schools comparable to the best in any part
of the world. The education upliftment programme was capped with the
construction of model secondary schools with state of the art facilities that
could compare with some universities in the country.
A number of governors, who
visited the schools were compelled to replicate what they saw in Rivers State
in their own states, but none as at the time of the transition was able to
exactly replicate in the same measure.
Speaking after a tour of some of
the projects three years ago, Governor Abiola Ajimobi had said:
“I came here (Rivers) to meet a
brother and the chairman of our governors’ forum as a friend and a brother.
Comparative analysis
Secondly, I’m doing what you call
peer review, comparative analysis, see what is happening in Port Harcourt and
Rivers State vis-a-vis Oyo State. Having been here now, I have seen a lot and I
think without sounding patronising, I think the governor here, Amaechi is a
blessing to Port Harcourt, to Rivers State in terms of his achievements, in
terms of his commitment, in terms of his patriotism.
“I saw the primary schools, the
new model secondary schools would easily pass for a university. I don’t know of
any secondary school that looks like this in Nigeria. In terms of sciences, ICT
and in terms of the ambience of the environment, the school is very conducive
for learning and children produced here will definitely do well.
Former Governor Isa Yuguda who
was equally so impressed with what he saw of Amaechi’s efforts during a visit
in 2011 had called on his fellow colleagues to imitate what he saw in Rivers
State.
Even though a number of the
governors heeded Yuguda’s call, Amaechi’s political inclinations, however,
seemed not to have helped him especially with the authorities that presided
over the country at that time.
The former governor’s credentials
in other sectors were also praised by Governor Ajimobi in other sectors such as
health, agriculture among others.
“I think he is an icon from what
I have seen. I have gone round to see your farming, the agriculture, a lot has
been achieved and it has a multiplier effect on the economy of the area in
terms of employment, income generation and reducing poverty, reducing thuggery,
vandalism and all the associated nuances of low economy.”
While Amaechi may have acquitted
himself in education, health and agriculture, his record on roads is in the
view of some still mixed especially given the spate with which his successor
has sought to renovate some roads in Port-Harcourt.
Assertions of corruption
In doing that, the new governor
has sought to give the idea that Amaechi did nothing while in office. That has
been compounded by assertions of corruption against the Amaechi administration.
The new administration has
constituted a panel of inquiry to probe the Amaechi administration. However,
pronouncements of guilt made against the former governor even before the
conclusion of the exercise, however, trouble some, including a legal
practitioner, Worgu Boms who spoke with Vanguard.
According to him since Governor
Wike has concluded that Amaechi is corrupt, there is no need for him to set up
a panel of inquiry anymore to investigate his tenure in office.
He stated, ”It is clear that the
objective of the new administration in Rivers State is to dissolve the person
of Rotimi Amaechi, politically but having found him ‘guilty’ of illegal
deduction of public funds and of running a corrupt government, there is no need
to bother the Chairman of the panel of inquiry to investigate anything”.
He went further, “The desperate
search for a Rotimi Amaechi political downfall should not be a Magna Carta, to
ridicule Law, its Practice and the Legal Profession. Law should always win
politics and politics should not always win Law”.
- Gbenga Oke
About TRENDY
0 comments:
Post a Comment