Opinion Article: What does Governor Amaechi want?

Gov. Amaechi

By AZUH AMATUS: I have followed with keen and disgusting interest, the unending political crises and shenanigans currently going on in Rivers State, where Rotimi Amaechi controversially holds sway as the executive governor.

I have also tried to sample the candid opinions of concerned and unbiased Rivers indigenes, who are the ones feeling the negative impact of the poorly scripted drama currently tearing their once peaceful state apart because of the unholy ambition and desperation of one man.

Surprisingly, what I’m yet to find a genuine answer to is, what Amaechi really wants?

In fact, Amaechi’s recent poor stunt of becoming the emergency chauffeur of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, during the latter’s invitation to the SSS office, was so belittling and unbecoming of a State’s Chief Executive. What point was he trying to prove by abandoning a whole state to be the unpopular driver of one Nigerian invited to honour an ordinary invitation by the SSS in Abuja? Cheap political stunt, period!

Sincerely, I think it’s a sign that Amaechi is overwhelmed on how best to govern a State as big as Rivers, thereby becoming confused, bored and bereft of ideas. No sane and serious duly elected governor will jettison the enormous work load at his state to become the official driver of another individual outside his domain. Quite absurd!

Painfully, Amaechi, who was seriously lampooned and berated on the social media, for such an ‘un-governor’ like behavior that will remain an everlasting stain on the image of Rivers people, has gone down in the annals of Nigeria as the first with such a dirty record.

He’s an elected governor and should stop acting like a Roman Emperor of old. Or better still, “a gangster cowboy,” which was how Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mbu, whom Amaechi is constantly fighting, described the embattled governor, in a recent interview with The Guardian.

Again, what I’m yet to fully comprehend is why Amaechi is fighting everybody. Especially, his mentors, imaginary enemies and those that selflessly helped him reach the zenith of his about-to-crash political career. Why is he so cantankerous and annoyingly stubborn? The last time I checked he was not the first governor to govern Rivers State and will definitely not be the last. So, he should stop these problems he’s constantly causing the nice people of Rivers State with his many political blunders and ‘un-governor’ like utterances and behaviours.

Check out the long list of those Amaechi is publicly fighting and insulting. President Goodluck Jonathan (arch enemy number one), Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience, his former Chief of Staff and Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, (arch enemy number two) his cousin and ex Rivers Governor, Celestine Omehia, former Deputy Speakers, House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche and Austin Opara, Rivers PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, Kalabari Crown Prince and former buddy, Tonye Princewill, Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu and a legion of others within and outside the troubled state.

Amaechi took his impunity and ingratitude to the highest level, when he publicly fought, insulted and rubbished his mentor and political benefactor, Peter Odili, the former governor of the state. This was a man who adopted him as a son and completely turned his life around by helping him secure his first job as a PA/PRO in his private hospital and later installed him the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly without any impeachment for eight years. He eventually paved the way for Amaechi to become governor. What did Odili get in return- a bag full of ingratitude, sporadic witch-hunting, unending public insults and a kangaroo Reconciliation Commission deliberately set up to completely rubbish and tarnish Odili’s good works in Rivers State?

Let me quickly remind Amaechi what Napoleon Hill said about people not being loyal: “Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.”

Amaechi, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), against the wishes of Rivers People, who massively voted for him on the platform of PDP, claims to be a progressive, but he’s not acting like one.

He should for once calm down and learn from people like governor Fashola of Lagos State.

Despite their many differences and squabbles, Fashola has never come out in the open to insult or disparage his mentor and political daddy, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, let alone rubbishing or condemning the legacies he left behind as a governor for eight years.

Fashola has always allowed good reasoning and rational thinking to prevail and guide him, unlike Amaechi who religiously relishes rushing to the media for what I can boldly call cheap media stunt that does him no good.

My advice to Amaechi is to stop playing god in Rivers State and concentrate on giving his people democracy dividends. Rivers is one of the richest states in the country in terms of revenue coming from the Federation Account, yet the people are still pauperized and impoverished. He has done little or nothing for the crying state with the trillions at his disposal.

Besides, is he not tired of fighting both seen and imaginary enemies? If he’s not, I know that Rivers people are tired, worn out and completely fatigued.

Even though talk is very cheap, Amaechi should talk less and face the serious task of moving his state forward with the massive resources at his disposal instead of squandering it on media stunts that is ephemeral.

He was not elected to fight and make unguarded utterances, but to work and perform to the admiration of his people. Anything other than this is completely unacceptable and anti Rivers people.

I want Amaechi to know that he who talks without thinking runs more risks than he who thinks without talking.