Blunt, Annoying But Brilliant …Gov Amaechi’s Public Speech Style

Every lucky male-child makes a friend of his father, sometimes mother in whom such minor confides. In such interaction, the key defining imperative is truth, if even it will attract serious sanctions. Such confidence-building takes time, endurance, discipline and more especially an abiding faith in the father or mother to do right.

Again, in a relationship of that kind, half truths, distrust and evasiveness have no space, for they naturally impede the expected father/child friendship except in such instances when moral demands to protecting the child from strictly adult literation  forces a loving father to be choosy with words, but very loving in style.

Of the many lessons I got from the friendship with my father, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi reminds me of one, each time he has a reason to address concerns of public nature with a usually blunt, very annoying but indeed truthfully and with such amazing brilliance. It is one, I grew up to confirm in my study of political leaders, diplomats and even every day politicians: Never say what you don’t mean and never ever pretend to be what you are not.

As an adult in the business of minding others’ business which journalism truly is, I have come to see public officials in two different categories: those who tell their followership what may be soothing, by saying the nastiest things in the nicest way, build phoney public expectation to heights, so high, but ultimately do little to invest in the future welfare of the people because doing so would reduce the lot required to oil their loyalties, ensure they keep an assured political future. The other, which Amaechi uniquely represents is the group that tells the story as it is, sans embellishments, little bothered about the pain and angst such blunt delivery attracts the affected, never atom of fear, lack of facts nor favourism. He is in every sense a referee soccer encounter who ends up as enemy to both teams.

In truth, Amaechi’s style of public speech-making can be very unsettling even to his aides and political associates and very annoying to those who believe that a governor should be discrete, economical with the truth and put political friendship and future above all other in criticism of issues he himself finds unsettling.

Last year, as guest of The Platform, a Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) personality interview programme of the Rivers State Council, Amaechi was confronted with a good number of questions like the then most troubling demolition of structures either illegal or legal depending on public need and imperative for urbanisation.

Worried by Amaechi’s amazing openness, Information and Communications Commissioner, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari slipped through a note to her boss. Unbelievably, the governor shared content of the slip with an amazed news crowd. “My commissioner is asking me to be a bit diplomatic”, Amaechi told the journalists, who needed no further assurance that it was a caution that the unpredictable Amaechi will gladly disobey.

To him, diplomacy with words means, lying to self, political self-censorship, battle against the truth and a contradiction of his owed favour for openness and accountability. To him, true success does not come from doing or saying nothing, or avoiding annoying truths on friends nor is it about the fear of making mistakes. It is instead the willingness to stand firmly by what he truly believes in, never bothered by the many ethno-political passion such positions naturally ignite.

In the past many months for instance, the desire for government to demolish Port Harcourt waterfronts, some parts of which it considers a hide-out for criminals, has attracted countless questions on the governor’s true motives. In fact, thanks to a section of the local media, the issue has been made to appear as face-off between Governor Amaechi and Okrika-speaking Ijaws who have repeatedly laid claim to ownership of the affected areas and on very many occasions insisted on re-settlement of some kind.

Feasting on that conflict, a section of the media even predicted that Governor Amaechi would be too scared to hold the Okrika edition of the town-hall meetings or that he would not be welcome.

With less than two years to re-election, if he so desires, every politician should thread softly, lie a little and demonstrate pretentious lowliness far different from his pedigree as governor, but not Amaechi.

After some postponements, which the said media interpreted to mean fear, Amaechi kept the appointment with Okrika Local Government Area, into the warm embrace of gaily dressed women, youths, traditional rulers and chiefs, and of course, politicians and public office holders, last Thursday, August 5th,  this year.

Apparently delayed by the need to condole with the Oba of Ogbaland, His Eminence, Sir Chukumela Nnam Obi II, on the death of the natural ruler’s wife, Amaechi arrived Okrika later than the prescheduled 10am and headed straight to the residence of the Amanyanabo of Ogoloma, His Royal majesty, Chief E.T.I. Obudibo to pay his traditional respect and to intimate his host of the town-hall meeting with Okrika stakeholders at the council headquarters.

Thereafter, accompanied by his Deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Health Commissioner, Dr. Sampson Parker as chief host, Secretary, to State Government, Hon. Magnus Abe and other members of the State Executive Council, Governor Amaechi headed for the Model Primary School at Ogoloma, a project which was originally out of his advertised schedule of visit. And without prior information to his security details headed to the model school, inspected the structure before heading for the town-hall meeting.

There, a vintage Amaechi stretched his openness to annoying limits, from protocol perspective when he instructed that those who failed to attract the moderator’s attention for worrisome questions should scribble such and send to him. Strangely, he read out every such question and answered as ‘matter-of-factly’ as usual and even took the fight to the Okrika political elite, past and present, challenging them to show proof of performance and human empowerment comparative to his within about two years.

“Some say I hate Okrikans, but they do not know that 65 per cent of my friends are Okrikans”, and went ahead to list why he should enjoy better reception and accommodation than many of their sons and daughters, some of who, he accused of greed, self-centredness and saddist tendencies.

For wealth to spread, apart the empowerment efforts by the state government, Amaechi insisted, well-placed sons and daughters, especially those who, at various times, held key public offices, including members of his administration ought to look in-wards, empathise with the many poor and initiate moves to positively address the fluctuating fortunes of the Okrika people.

That, many believed amounted to inciting the people against their leaders. I disagree and so do many Okrika youths. Year after year power, fame and fortune circulate among nearly the same clique of politicians, some of who, without any clearly discernable personal sources of livelihood except the public’s, swim in affluence to the anger of the have-nots.

In truth, it took the tenure of the serving member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Linda Somiari for Okrikans to know that even lawmakers receive budgetary votes for constituency projects. Where went such funds of previous years?

My Agony is that even such persons believe that Amaechi’s openness amounted to incitement, and rather than hide their faces in shame and plan for future charity schemes and youth empowerment, were sulking.

But Amaechi earned my respect when, after repeating government’s vow to demolish criminal hide-outs, still being protested by Okrikans, sat for refreshments with his friends and brothers, in the council chairman’s office, satisfied that he has spoken to loved ones, the way a good father and son will converse – truthfully, bluntly, sometimes annoyingly but with a sense purpose, misinterpreted or not. Amaechi may not be perfect, none is, but he should not be who he is not.