Appraising Gov Amaechi’s Stewardship After Two Years

Exactly two years today, erstwhile Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took oath as Governor, after a torturous battle to reclaim a mandate given to him freely by majority of members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its Governorship primaries in December 2006.

Enhanced by what has been acclaimed by many Nigerians and legal doyins Alike, as landmark Supreme Court judgement, Gov. Amaechi was visibly humbled and promised to govern with the fear of God.

In his maiden broadcast to the people of the State, the new governor made it clear that his was not a continuation of any government, even if government were  a continuum. What he meant, by that was to be judged by is actions as a development thirsty servant determined to start something entirely new, thread paths hitherto avoided by many and to perform his duty with the fear of God in the interest of majority of well-meaning Rivers people.

His choice of members of the first Exco, November 7, 2007 in many ways, betrayed his policy thrust and direction. Today, the same vision has aptly directed government business and revealed marked differences in areas such as public works, health care delivery, education reforms, urban renewal, power and indeed human capacity building and empowerment.

In two years, apart from scholarships to Rivers students and the up-grading of the State College of Education to University, 250 prototype Model Primary Schools were embarked upon, some still on-going and others like that at Elekahia  already completed and commissioned. In like manner, a Model Secondary School each is sited in all the local government areas and two in Port Harcourt city.

Public works, covering roads, fly-overs and drainages are unarguably the strongest points of Gov Amaechi’s stewardship, disruption by torrential rains this part of the Niger Delta notwithstanding. On our last check, hitherto impassible roads like the Rumuola /Rumuokuta road, Rumuokwuta/Choba, Elekahia/Rumuomasi road, Ada George road Phases I and II, Slaughter/Rumuobiakani, Trans-Amadi, First Bank Rumuobikani/Woji roads, among many others have all been dualised.

Along with that, planting of trees is ongoing, to enhance the aesthetic features of the state in pursuit of the urban renewal initiative and greening of the city.

Apart from the Eleme  junction fly-over which the government inherited, various others at the Agip junction and Slaughter area of the city are on-going.

The success story in the health sector is even more bewildering. Within the period under review, government not only started and completed both the new Dental Hospital along Aba Road and the Niger Hospital, recently named after Prof. Kesley Harrison, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, the Amaechi administration commissioned the construction and equipping of 150 Modern Primary health care institutions across the state, not to mention the giant strides thus far recorded by the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH).

Added to all these grandiose projects is an unwavering drive to wards addressing the perennial congestion of the old Port Harcourt city, a reason that has powered the zeal to actualize the dream of a Greater Port Harcourt City, the first of which is already under construction.

But of even greater importance to mention is Governor Amaechi’s drive towards renewal which, in spite of the many and varied misconceptions and misinterpretations helped to re-invent a city left behind by time and civilization.

Commendable as these efforts are, The Tide finds it instructive to advise government on the need to pursue development in a phased manner, in order to meeting most if not all the basic needs and  yearning of the people. Development, we believe, is a continuing process, which is often determined by available resources and which is also dependent on the many competing needs. This, should, as a  necessity, influence every government action, the burning desire to make a marked difference in the fortunes of Rivers people, notwithstanding.

Thus far, Gov. Amaechi and his Executive Council have set a standard that will be hard  to surpass by any state government in a long time to come.

Even so, a lot still remains to be done and naturally requires the support, contribution of ideas and objective criticisms by well-meaning individuals and corporate citizens because, to achieve the greatness of tomorrow all, notwithstanding political affiliations must be willing to contribute to the pool of workable ideas for the betterment of all.

That is the best way of making all, appreciate the challenges we face, today.