Amaechi Has No Ethnic Agenda – International Accountant

His odyssey is typical of a purpose driven life, dedicated to excellence and enterprise. Inspite of his prestigious career and training in the United Kingdom, where he spent the bulk of his formative years, Godwin Poi, is not inclined to self-flagellation.

The immediate past chairman of Rivers community in the U.K and Ireland, rather exudes a moderate and modest bearing not common among people of his education and class.

He is a staunch Nigerian Patriot, a devoted Nationalist who looked up to serving his country despite his long sojourn abroad.   And so, when the opportunity came, he did not hesitate to lend his wealth of experience to the service of his state.

A chartered accountant by training, he is presently in Nigeria at the instance of the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi and he currently serves as the General Manager (Programme, of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, (RSSDA). He spoke with The Weekend Tide in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt, and he commented on a wide range of issues.

While in the United Kingdom, Poi enjoyed coordinating Rivers indigenes in the diaspora, a fundamental objective which he said had yielded positive impact on the state in terms of pressing home their advantages. Apart from some charity works being embarked upon by the organisation in the state, he said the Rivers people in UK and Ireland are driving investment opportunities, to Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole.

“The body is doing very well. They give advice to the Governor, they also bring business and investment opportunities to the state”.

The climax of the organisation’s overtures with the Rivers State Government was last August, when the Rivers State Governor led a powerful delegation to officially launch the body in London. On the governor’s entourage were Prof Nimi Briggs, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Chief Andrew Uchendu, member, House of Representatives and other cabinet members.

“We were highly thrilled hosting the governor, and the governor was happy and proud to identify with us. It was quite a memorable day in London and we will remain grateful to the governor for that landmark honour.”

Poi further disclosed that the visit was quite fundamental in the sense that it will spur the organisation to greater height, bearing in mind that they have the official endorsement of the Rivers State Government.

Poi is not a partisan politician rather he belongs to the technocratic class. Speaking on the dynamics of his career as a chartered accountant, he said accountants world over are guided by international standards which regulate their practice. The member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria,(ICAN) thumbed up for professional accountants in Nigeria, who in the face of grave challenges had been able to compete favourably with their counterparts the world over.

Considering if the Nigerian environment was feasible enough to absorb some of the needed changes for a competitive economy, Poi disclosed that it will take some time for  the polity to stabilise.

“To be candid, it will take some time for Nigeria to attain its rightful status in global economy. People have been dogmatic in their ways of doing things. I am quite optimistic that Nigeria will over come its many problems”.

Poi is also a consummate tactician and financial strategist with bias in social development. His idea of integrated rural development is that the approach should be holistic. He emphasised that local government as the closest form of government to the rural people should border on intensive consultation with the people on development priorities.

“Local governments are critical to grassroot  development. It is the first point of call of the people. If you get things right at the local level, then things will be put in proper place at the state and federal levels. If you tell a grassroots person that Nigeria is now a member of the United Nations Security Council, it will mean nothing to the person, but if a local government chairman performs well, the local communities feel the impact.”

As a means of boosting competition in local government administration, Poi, who also chairs the Inter-ministerial committee of RSSDA, said the excellence in local government initiative award was introduced to honour outstanding Local Government chairmen in the state. The initiative, he added also cuts across all the government agencies and ministries. Poi also reacted to speculation making the rounds   that Governor Amaechi is running an ethic agenda, to catch up with his native community in the Greater Port Harcourt project. Such speculations in his dispassionate view was baseless, as Amaechi had visibly impacted on all the local government areas of the state in terms of infrastructural development.

Poi, who was once at the fore of the struggle for development of the Niger Delta, under Ogoni platform is still very passionate about it. He cautioned the government about the fragile peace in the area, adding that, the federal government should not tow the line of past regimes on the Niger Delta issue to risk another drift into anarchy.

“The Niger Delta people are running out of their patience, Government should be serious about the issue, it shouldn’t be mere talk shows, but emphasis should be placed on human capital development, the people should be trained and made active participants in the scheme of things.

As an interventionist agency, Poi said, the RSSDA, had been thorough in its development initiatives in the state. Fundamentally, he said the agency had embarked on a scholarship scheme, based on merit in which indigent students are major beneficiaries. Also, through its community interface department, he said the agency had worked closely with local communities to educate them and manage their expectations of government.

Taneh Beemene