Opinion

Who Is Afraid Of Amaechi’s Success?

Published

12 years ago

March 26, 2014

Among the present crop of Nigerian governors, Rt. Hon.
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi shines like a diamond. He remains the most talked about governor in Niqeria of today. He is being wooed by practically every political grouping that has a national agenda. Amaechi continues to bestride the Nigerian Landscape like a colossus and we mortal men marvel at his feet. His achievements such as construction of numerous roads with drainages, increased power supply, successful elimination of the ghost worker syndrome in the public service, the see-through fencing order, the state of the art primary schools dotting Rivers Landscape, Community Health Centres, numerous scholarships within and outside. Nigeria, various youth and women empowerment programmes and the employment of over, 13,000 graduate teachers stand Amaechi out as the father of modern development in the country. I believe we have just seen a tip of the young governor’s ingenuity. Truly, his score card is intimidating.
The question then arises, who is afraid of Amaechi’s success? Accordinq to one current affairs analyst. Prince Emeka Ajuru, “Rivers people cannot be fooled again by anybody or any party. We can still remember how it used to be before Amaechi came to the rescue. Infact it was the total collapse of public utilities and intrastructure that led to the youth restiveness from 2003-2007. We know those that were behind the criminal neglect of our people”.
This analyst concluded that four decades of neglect and backwardness cannot be wiped away overnight. Our. principal (Amaechi) has solved two-thirds of the problems already. When he declared in 2007 that henceforth Rivers money will be spent on Rivers people through projects, the looters thought he was joking.
Governor Amaechi loves his people. He committed class suicide by taking side with the masses instead of the bourgeoisie. When they tell you that Amaechi has no respect for his elders what they really mean is that he does not patronise any godfather or cartel. He will not and does not share money. He would be foolish to do that given the enormity of work to be done in the state. Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi remains the Governor of Rivers State. Those beating war drums should allow Amaechi to run his government the way he wants. These people accusing the governor of misrule cannot even rule their households well let alone a state. He who wears the shoe knows where it pinches.
Governor Amaechi has come, he has seen, and he has conquered. He has undoubtedly transformed Port Harcourt to a modern city from a city in ruins six years ago. Amaechi in doing this has not received any assistance or support from anybody or group. Instead, they have kept themselves busy distracting the governor.’ For the first time in the last 20 years, pupils are running away from private schools to Amaechi’s schools (Public Schools) due to the high quality of the new schools. Let us face it, Amaechi has taste and class. Whatever he does is of world standard. Mr. Fix it, your pupils are saying thank you for giving us a future. You have indeed laid a solid foundation for education in Rivers State.
When it. comes to political contests and good governance, Amaechi is a father, if I may. borrow the terrninoloq of Port Harcourt youngsters. The man has never lost any political contest in the last two decades. Infact he keeps knocking out his opponents with relative case. The last win he pulled off at the just concluded NGF election against all odds shook the nation and strengthened the myth of invincibility surroundinq Amaechi when it comes to votes.
I am not on Amaechi’s payroll. I am not even a politician. I am simply an unbiased umpire who is out to call a spade a spade and not a garden fork. The man is simply a bank of noble ideas. His education, transparency, quick wits and unparalleled political will to transform society are the factors behind Governor Amaechi’s success. He is the real bulldozer, if you ask me.
Amaechi is a phenomenon in Rivers State and efforts are being made to develop a political ideology to this effect. This attempt, if it succeeds, will be the first indigenous political ideology to come out of Nigeria. It is borne out of the fighting Nigerian spirit which has made Nigeria a household name in world football. Incidentally, Governor Amaechi is a father to the Super Eagles. Amaechi is a structural developer and reformer. He will continue to stun his opponents.
Rivers people and residents, let us begin to think of what we can do for Rivers State and not what Rivers State can do for us. As a people endowed with enormous human and material resources, we have no reason being a backward state in Nigeria. The Oil City of Port Harcourt must look like Riyadh and Dubai. This is the job Amaechi is doing and those that have nothing· to offer should please hold their peace. For the fact that Amaechi is a man of the people, Rivers people will follow him anywhere he goes. We have no other leader than Amaechi and we waited for a very long time for him to arrive after Isaac Adaka Boro. Port Harcourt is the goose that lays the golden eggs yet nobody bothers to develop it except Amaechi, Port Harcourt First Son.
Looking at the profile and pedigree of those calling the governor all sorts of name and casting aspersions on his person, I am apt to ask “what have they done for Rivers people?”. These people must not return to power and drag the hand of our clock backward. They should occupy their minds with how to sustain the developmental strides of Governor Amaechi when he leaves office next year. Will the next governor fit into the big shoes that Amaechi will leave behind? This is the million naira question.
From a modest beginning, Governor Amaechi has risen from Student Union President to Best Speaker in Nigeria, to Best Governor in Nigeria. The only Governor in Nigeria, that became governor not by contesting and winning election but through a Landmark Supreme Court judgement. Whom God has blessed, let no man curse. And who the cap fits, let him wear it. Governor Amaechi remains the luckiest Riversman alive. The Governor of Governors has what Nigeria needs. Abuja, here we come. The Right Honourable is on a divine mission and God is in the Control Tower.
A lot of detractors have referred to the Rivers State Government Monorail project as white elephant and they are worried that it stops at UTC junction. The project to an enlightened mind is a modern mass transit system which our growing population needs. If Governor Amaechi has succeeded in taking it to UTC junction, let the next governor take it to Rumuola junction. In two or three tenures, it, will get to Oyigbo. Governor Amaechi should be commended for initiating it, the first of its kind in Nigeria.
Amadi is a current affairs analyst.

Anthony Peter Amadi

Opinion

Kudos Gov Fubara

Published

3 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Please permit me to use this medium to appreciate our able governor, Siminalayi Fubara for the inauguration of the 14.2-kilometre Obodhi–Ozochi Road in Ahoada-East Local Government Area. This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the history of our communities and deserves commendation. We, the people of Ozochi, are particularly happy because this project has brought long-awaited relief after years of isolation and hardship.

The expression of our traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Eze Prince Ike Ehie, JP, during the inauguration captured the joy of our people. He said, “our isolation is over.” That reflects the profound impact of this road on daily life, economic activities, and social integration of the people of Ozochi and other neighbouring communities. The road will no doubt ease transportation, improve access to markets and healthcare, and strengthen links between Ahoada, Omoku, and other parts of Rivers State.

The people of Ahoada, Omoku, and indeed Rivers State as a whole are grateful to our dear governor for this laudable achievement and wish him many more successful years in office. We pray that God endows him with more wisdom and strength to continue to pilot the affairs of the state for the benefit of all. As citizens, we should rally behind the governor and support his development agenda. Our politicians and stakeholders should embrace peace and cooperation, as no meaningful progress can be achieved in an atmosphere of conflict. Sustainable development in the state can only thrive where peace prevails.

Samuel Ebiye

Opinion

… And It Came To Pass

Published

3 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Quote:“Leadership is not measured by how hard one strikes back, but by how steady one remains under provocation.”

Tell it in Rivers State, publish it in the streets of Port Harcourt, so the daughters of the State could rejoice, and the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph and know that Fubara is not vindictive”. And it came to pass that Rivers State emerged from one of the most delicate chapters in its political journey, the period of emergency rule that spanned from March 18 to September 18, 2025. It was a season that tested institutions, strained loyalties, and exposed the fragile balance between power and principle. During that time, the suspended Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara DSSRS, was widely believed to have suffered not only political setbacks but personal betrayal, allegedly from some top civil servants within the state apparatus. These were individuals expected to uphold neutrality and professionalism, yet were accused in public opinion of taking sides against the very government they served.

As the emergency rule ended and Governor Fubara resumed office, expectations were shaped less by policy and more by emotion. Many assumed that revenge would quietly find expression through governance. The loudest suspicion centered on the 2025 Christmas bonus of ?100,000 traditionally paid to each worker. The thinking was simple and cynical: a wounded governor would surely withhold goodwill. Some voices even mocked workers openly hoping that the governor would refuse to pay the bonus. To them, denial of the bonus would serve as proof of political strength and justified retaliation. In reality, such thinking revealed a troubling desire to see governance reduced to personal vendetta. Yet, it came to pass, the governor chose a path that confounded suspicion. Against all expectations, the 2025 Christmas bonus was paid.

That single decision quietly but firmly reframed the narrative. It showed a leader focused on governance rather than grudges, on institutional continuity rather than emotional satisfaction. The payment was not a favor, nor was it a concession; it was a statement that public administration must rise above personal injury. By honoring the bonus, Governor Fubara demonstrated that leadership is not measured by how hard one strikes back, but by how steady one remains under provocation. He made it clear that workers’ welfare would not become collateral damage in political disagreements. This action also served as a moral rebuke to those who celebrated division and hoped for punishment. Governance is not validated by the suffering of workers, nor is leadership strengthened by withholding entitlements. At the same time, the issue of alleged sycophancy and betrayal within the civil service cannot be brushed aside. If proven, such conduct deserves firm, lawful, and institutional correction. Civil servants are bound by duty to the state, not to political conspiracies or shifting loyalties.

However, justice must never be confused with revenge. The strength of governance lies in correcting wrongs without destroying the system itself. Governor Fubara’s restraint suggested an understanding that the future of Rivers State mattered more than settling scores. For workers, this moment carried an important lesson. Celebration should be rooted in good governance, not in the expectation of another’s downfall. Rejoicing in rumors of denial or punishment undermines the very stability that protects workers’ welfare. Public service thrives where professionalism, mutual respect, and accountability are upheld. Pettiness, gossip, and political scheming only weaken institutions and erode trust. History often remembers leaders not for the crises they inherit, but for the character they display in response. In paying the 2025 Christmas bonus, Governor Fubara chose legacy over impulse, maturity over malice.

And so, it came to pass that focus defeated revenge, governance triumphed over bitterness, and Rivers State was reminded that true leadership is proven when restraint is expected least but delivered most. Beyond the symbolism of the Christmas bonus lies a deeper question about the kind of political culture Rivers State intends to cultivate in the years ahead. Periods of emergency rule, anywhere in the world, often leave behind residues of suspicion, fear, and silent realignments. Institutions do not emerge untouched; individuals recalibrate loyalties, some out of conviction, others out of self-preservation. What distinguishes stable democracies from fragile ones is not the absence of such moments, but the discipline with which leadership manages their aftermath. River.

King Onunwor

Opinion

That Withdrawal of Police Orderlies From VIPs

Published

3 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”Balancing VIP security with public safety remains a tightrope walk in a country where the majority of citizens are still under-protected.”

The Presidential announcement on the removal of police orderlies from persons in authority and their relations ( Very Important Persons ) last month came as a relief to many Nigerians who felt deprived of one major role of government ; security of lives and property.The higher population of Nigerians missed needed security because the VIPs and the VVIPs kept retinue of Police Officers totalling over 100 ,000 to themselves and their family members as if they are all that matter while some communities under attack of terrorists have no single unit of police station located there in. While many hailed the announcement , some said perhaps the government has just woken up to her major responsibility of securing the lives and property of all citizens while many expressed indifference on the note that it may be one of those pronouncements which come only in words but no action .Many keep their fingers crossed watching how it will play out , how Mr President will go about the implementation of the seemingly dicey policy .

Benjamin Franklin said “well said is better than well done ” It is sufficient today to say that many Nigerians including me are still waiting and watching to see how well and how long this return of the Police service to the ordinary people will go . Wishing hopes will not be crashed , It is note worthy, that the recent complaints by the VIPs of being exposed to attacks may in a way affect the action on implementation. Recently, at Senate plenary , another worrisome angle came up as Senator Abdul Ningi coming through a motion disclosed that he had only one police officer attached to him ( his office ) and that the officer was recalled the week before following Mr President’s directive . Senator Ningi said the withdrawal exposed him to high risks but underscored the angle that while his orderly was recalled , many other politicians , men and women in authority, business concerns foreigners and even children of some VIPs are still enjoying retinue of police protection ( officially attached to them ).

It’s note worthy also that the Deputy Senate President , Distinguished Senator Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session revealed that the leadership of both chambers are already in discussion with President Tinubu on the need to exempt the law makers from the new policy . Senator Ningi may not be wrong . After all he emphasized he is okay provided that the removal of the Police Orderlies be done across board . Senator Barau noted that talks are on over the issue of law makers’ in line with international practice . Further details from the Presidency noted that Presiding officers will retain their police officers , others would have Civil Defense officers ( NSCDC) as orderlies while any other VIP who feels he or she deserves personal police protection should get clearance from his office . In the midst of all issues weighing in on the proper implementation , it becomes necessary to bear in mind that the decision hinges on the realization that Nigeria has peculiar security issues (of kidnappings, banditry, and terrorism.) and that majority of Nigerians are under protected.

More so, that if well implemented, Police officers will focus on core duties; even as 30,000 new police officers are to recruited to enhance security .That implementation must be made in a way that leaves no room.for selective treatment loss of confidence and controversies. Looking at previous attempts of implementation of this policy gives faint hope as several attempts consistently failed . Former IGPs like Tafa Balogun (2003), Ogbonnaya Onovo (2009), and Ibrahim Idris (2018) tried the policy but all failed due to political resistance from various angles. All the failed attempts were tied to lack of political will mostly due to the fact that the directives came from police chiefs, not the president. Selective Enforcement was another killer to the policy as partial implementation met resistance and later reversal . Egbetokun (2023) and Adamu (2020) saw minimal impact.

Further more entrenched corruption in the system saw Politicians and VIPs quietly regain police escorts due to ‘transactional economics”and pressure. Worse still the mindset of the police officers withdrawn didn’t help the policy Underpaid police prioritize VIP duties for extra benefits. Many wish President Tinubu’s move can break this cycle. As at today, he still insists the move is non-negotiable while stressing collaboration with states to upgrade training facilities. As citizens look forward to success of the policy without undue exposure of both sides, balancing VIP security with public safety remains a tightrope walk. Talk fades ; action echoes. How the Presidency implements this policy. has much to tell on the governments stand on national / community security , choice of priority and the ability to stand uncomprised . The known goal is clear: The outcome is not yet certain. Fingers crossed , we await . Definitely , time will tell.

By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi.

s State stood at such a crossroads in September 2025. The temptation to rule with a long memory and a heavy hand was real. Yet, the choice made signaled a preference for healing over hardening. Leadership after crisis demands more than administrative competence; it requires moral clarity.

Governor Fubara’s decision reminded the state that authority is not best exercised through silent punishment or selective generosity. Rather, it is strengthened when rules remain rules, irrespective of personal injury. By keeping faith with workers, the government preserved an essential firewall between politics and public service. That firewall, once breached, turns governance into a battlefield where livelihoods become weapons. Rivers State narrowly avoided that descent. In doing so, it affirmed that institutions must outlive tempers, and governance must not mirror the bitterness of political seasons. This moment also invites sober introspection within the civil service itself. Allegations of partisanship, if left unresolved, corrode professionalism and weaken public confidence. A civil service that drifts into political camps loses its moral authority and operational effectiveness.

Therefore, reform, where necessary, should be guided by due process, transparency, and institutional review—not whispers, witch-hunts, or mob verdicts. Accountability strengthens systems when it is fair; it destroys them when it is arbitrary. The restraint shown by the executive places a corresponding burden on administrative leadership to restore discipline, neutrality, and pride in public service. For the wider political class and the commentariat, the episode serves as a caution against normalizing cruelty as strategy. The eagerness with which some anticipated workers’ suffering revealed a dangerous appetite for scorched-earth politics. When governance becomes a spectator sport where pain is cheered and deprivation is weaponized, society inches toward moral exhaustion. Rivers State has seen enough turbulence to know that stability is not sustained by triumphalism, but by restraint.

The lesson is simple yet profound: power is fleeting, but institutions endure; leaders pass, but precedents remain. In the end, the payment of the 2025 Christmas bonus was more than a fiscal act—it was a civic statement. It told workers they were not expendable. It told political actors that revenge would not be policy. And it told the state that maturity in leadership is not weakness, but strength under control. In a climate where many expected fire, restraint prevailed; where bitterness was predicted, balance emerged. Thus, Rivers State was offered a rare reminder that governance, at its best, is an act of discipline, and leadership, at its highest, is the courage to rise above provocation.