Check African Rulers, Amaechi Urges World Leaders

As the Energy, Environment and Investment Forum organized by the Rivers State Government comes to an end, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has called on world leaders to create a machinery that would enable them check dictatorship and bad governance in Africa.
He made the call during a special banquet and reception in Government House, Port Harcourt, for participants at the three-day summit aimed at finding lasting solutions to energy and environment challenges in Nigeria and Africa.
He reiterated that Third World countries could not make progress because of political intrigues in the polity, and advocated the need for the United Nations or some prominent society groups to compel leaders of Third World countries to organize transparent elections, without undue influence by the military.
“So, we must put a system in the global picture that will compel Third World countries leaders who don’t want to obey rules, because, they have the institution of the police or the Army which they use against their people. If we don’t have a system, it will be difficult to organize a free and fair election. This happens when the masses cannot hire and fire their leaders”, the governor remarked.
According to him, “I must tell you that, I was very impressed with the speakers at the Energy, Environment and Investment Forum, and I do not regret organizing this conference. Third World countries cannot make progress, if we don’t get either the United Nations or some prominent society groups to compel our leaders to organize transparent elections.
“It is not enough to say one of the solutions to crisis in African countries is transparent election. Because, you can tell the President of Nigeria, about transparent election, and he will assure you that there will be transparent election. He assured us that there will be transparent election in Ekiti State, but, he later used the Army to chase away the opposition. So, if he (President Jonathan) says it was free, was it fair? And if the Army can be escorting PDP, the party in power to pay N10,000 per voter, and stop APC from paying the same N10,000, how free and fair is that election?”
Continuing, Amaechi said, “If you say to us that the solution to our problem lies in our hands, I agree completely, but, unfortunately we don’t have statesmen presidents or ministers, who obey simple rules. There are rules in Nigeria that say, ‘no person will campaign until a specific period of time’. But, our president has already started campaigning. We were aware that the president was coming to Port Harcourt to address PDP party supporters, few days to the period, he withdrew the letter, but the law says, no campaign until November, 2014, and the president is already campaigning, which means, he is above the law”.
Amaechi equally expressed regrets over the inability of the citizens to attach serious consequences against those who encourage and promote corruption in the nation’s democratic leadership.
“…Nigeria does not have democracy. What we have is diarchy. Diarchy is the government by civilians and the military, both issuing instructions at the same time”, Amaechi said.
The state chief executive further lamented the high level of impunity by the PDP-led government, stating that the continued use of military personnel to perpetuate undue influence on the civilian populace was practically an act of lawlessness.
“I have been confronted by the military two or three times before my aircraft was grounded. And that was done by the Air Force commander, and he said to us, ‘order from above’. And they used the military to force me out. The one in Ekiti was also military. When I got to the airport, Air Force men had taken over the run way, so that is practically an act of lawlessness.
“I was special assistant to former governor of the state, Chief Rufus Ada-George and then Speaker for eight (8) years during the administration of former Governor, Dr Peter Odili, so, I am in a better position to tell you what Nigerian politics looks like”, Amaechi explained.

L-R: Former Prime Minister of France, Francois Charles Fillon. Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and former President of Ghana, John Kufuor, during the just concluded Energy, Environment and Investment Forum Port Harcourt 2014 at the new Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt