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            AMAECHI: 100 DAYS OF THE REBIRTH OF THE NEW RIVERS STATE .
                                                                     By
                                                     Eze Chukwuemeka Eze
                                               ezecontinental@yahoo.com, 08053469916

History was made on October 25, 2007 when the Country’s Supreme Court, in a landmark decision
directed that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi be sworn in immediately as the Governor of Rivers
State even though he did not contest the April’s polls in person. Hon. Amaechi as the records shows
was a victim of the highhandedness of PDP under the manipulative leadership of the then President of
Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo and his cohorts when he was unjustly substituted with Sir
Celestine Omehia as the PDP candidate for the April’s general election in Rivers State. The former
President has to describe his election as PDP flag-bearer in Rivers State then as having a k-leg which
after his swearing –in – ceremony as Governor, Amaechi stated that his k-leg has being straightened
by the Judiciary.

Having watched Gov. Amaechi at a very close range these past 100 days as the new helmsman of
Rivers State and after reading some of the unsatisfactory and uncomplimentary reports of his 100
days in office by some friends and colleagues; it becomes imperative that the records should be
properly straightened to avoid misleading the general public on this young man's achievement within
100 days in office and probably project into the future. This is in line with the now established
custom to assess our leaders after 100 days in office. This practice, as far as I can remember dates
back to 1815 when Napoleon was assumed to have spent 100 days in Paris after escaping from exile.
Another major mention of 100 days in office in history was in 1933 when U.S. Presidential historian
Mr. Richard Nixon recorded the uneventful 100 days of President George Washington. But the most
celebrated by a political Leaders was during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt of America who
initiated a lot of developmental bills which gave America a new look in terms of quality Leadership.

Only the lion-hearted person can do much within 100 days under the circumstances that brought
Gov. Amaechi to power, as the contending forces alone are not only overwhelming but can consume
any leader but as a determined and focused leader, who is destined to leave his foot print in the sands
of time, Amaechi used this period to lay the foundation for the rebirth of a new Rivers State. His first
major step was the harnessing and grouping of most divergent interests in the State into the 28-man
Advisory Council to put together an economic blue print for the development of the State under the
headship of an astute academic, Prof Nimi Briggs.

In pursuance of populist governance in Rivers State, Governor Amaechi had within this period
presented three innovative bills that will revolutionize administration in the State. These are - The Bill
for the Establishment of the Rivers State Maintenance Agency, The Public Procurement Bill 2007 to
regulate public expenditures and The Bill for Rivers State Compulsory Savings. Highlighting these
Bills, Hon. Tonye Harry, the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker stated that formerly, road
rehabilitation and construction were solely the responsibility of the State Ministry of Transport but
with the new Bill on the establishment of Road Maintenance Agency the process of repairs,
construction and maintenance of all roads across the State would now be regulated. This will end the
era of bad roads and unsatisfactory road project execution by Contractors. According to the Speaker,
the bill seeking for the compulsory savings when signed into Law would enable the State Government
to invest the sum of N1 Billion monthly. The Procurement Bill would bring due process into the
system by guaranteeing transparency, honesty and reduce nepotism, corruption and financial
hemorrhage. This step notwithstanding, Gov. Amaechi had set up a Task Force on Road
Rehabilitation and released an initial take-off grant of N2 billion Naira which according to its
Chairman, Mr. Chidi Wihioka has being used to rehabilitate 70% of the bad roads in Port Harcourt as
at December, 2007.

During an Educational Summit in the State within the period under review; Governor Amaechi stated
that Rivers Government will build 48 mega schools with plans to motivate teachers, improve
manpower as well introduce guidance and counseling departments in all the secondary schools.
Amaechi who lamented that many schools are in a state of disrepair, many classrooms are
overcrowded and good teachers are in short supply. There is a drop in school enrollment especially
among male students. Students leave school without acquiring skills and therefore unable to secure
jobs. To actualize this capital intensive project, Governor Amaechi has provided for its execution in
the 2008 Budget that may be passed by the State Assembly before the end of February, 2008.

In considering the enviable contributions Gov. Amaechi had made in enriching our judiciary and
enhancement of our democracy, the Sun Newspaper considered him alongside the Governor of
Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi for the prestigious award of the Sun’s 2007 Man- of- the -year award.
Prince Tonye Princewill, the AC strong man in Rivers State congratulated the Publisher and the
Editorial Team of the Sun Magazine for choosing the Rivers State Governor, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi as its ‘Man of the Year for the year 2007. To him, he felt that his choice by this great tabloid
was a choice in the right direction. Apart from his doggedness and forthrightness in pursuing his
fundamental human rights, he has by this struggle enriched not only our democratic institution and
culture but the judiciary system of Nigeria. This one- man- riot- squad, who believes in the total
emancipation of Rivers State, put his life on line in order to wrest Rivers State from the hands of a
deadly clique that has held the State and her people hostage these past eight years. That historic
verdict has rekindled Nigerians believe and hope in the judiciary and our democratic experiments’, he
concluded.

Within the period under review the salaries of the Civil servants have being increased by 15% while
most of their entitlements are now paid regularly. The Chairman of the State’s Civil Service
Commission, Prince Mene Nzidee attested to this when he disclosed to journalists in Port Harcourt
that apart from this increment, the government of Gov. Amaechi paid N40, 000 Christmas bonus to
each civil servant first of such act in any other State in Nigeria. The scholarship and bursary
allowances due to our students are now collected without perpetrating fraud. The period of Rivers
State acting as ‘father Christmas’ to all manners of groups and individuals, a gesture through which
the State funds were used to pursue fraudulent ambition to the detriment of  Rivers State people has
been stopped. Programs are now designed putting the interest of the State first while Contracts are
now awarded to reputable organizations that has link to our people unlike in the past where
questionable Contractors are brought to the State from outside and used to siphon our State funds.
The list of the unemployed undergraduates in the State is currently being compiled for immediate
employment. The power sector which had been in a comatose state in the recent past despite the
existence of gas turbines in the State will receive more attention during the fiscal year as a way of
strengthening the State’s economy.

Today, through Prince Tonye Princewill’s efforts a dependable partner of Gov. Amaechi; the private
and public sectors are now ready to unite to move the State forward. Already that effort is yielding
fruits as Clintoch Diagnostic and Pharmaceutical Inc based in Canada signed an MOU with the State
Government to build a mega, unique and first class equipped specialist hospital with one thousand bed
space. The hospital will deal with internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, surgery and pediatrics
and is expected to provide clinical capacity, managerial and quality control management, training and
employment of indigenes of the State. The hospital will provide international standard health care
facilities that will meet the need of every Nigerian desiring the best medical attention which will
compete with those hospitals in Europe, America or any part of the globe. Clinotech will be investing
60 million dollars in the first phase and $135 million in the second phase while Rivers State
Government will be investing 40 million dollars and provide. Clintoch is managed by Dr. Harrison
Ofiyai a renowned son of Niger Delta whose products are well appreciated all over the world. With
time he is expected to build the company’s factory so that most of their products produced in foreign
countries will be produced in Rivers State. Bringing this great son of ours back to the region after
spending 30 years outside the shores of our country is a monumental feat on the side of Gov.
Amaechi and Princewill.

Apart from the above feat, the Silver Bird Group, a private entertainment outfit in Nigeria is to partner
with the Rivers State Government to construct a Multi-Purpose Entertainment Park in Port Harcourt
worth about N20 billion. This project is expected to transform the area around the Isaac Boro Park
and the Cultural Centre to a world class Multi-Purpose Entertainment Park and the State to a true
modern Garden city. The project will have a shopping mall, Conference Centre, a 5-star hotel, an
amusement park and a large parking space for 1,000 cars and also promote tourism in the State. This
project apart from creating the first modern tourism centre in the State will create over one thousand
jobs for our youths when completed. The over 20 Billion Naira private initiative is to be executed with
85% labour and material contents provided by the people of the State which will go a long way to
provide bread on the tables of many Rivers State families and according to Tonye Princewill in a
recent interview these initiatives will create about five thousand jobs for our unemployed youths and
reduce the menace of youths restiveness in the State. All these life-touching projects are covered in
the State Budget before the State House of Assembly

On the nuisance Okada as a means of transportation has constituted in the Rivers State the Governor
said at a recent State Transport Summit held in the State that he was "ready to ban commercial
motorcycles in Rivers State, even today, if we find viable alternatives" to Okada. He said the odds of
the commercial cyclists outweighs the advantages "because of the many deaths associated with
motorcycles, robbery on bike, broken limbs and permanent disabilities" caused by reckless bike riders
in the state. Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has said his administration plans to build four new
cities which will de-congest the city of Port Harcourt. A master plan has been designed for the whole
of Port Harcourt and plans to build more roads. A ring road that would cost the State over a hundred
billion naira will be executed to assist in this regard

The new greater Port Harcourt and other three new cities to be built to decongest Port Harcourt are
to be sited around the international airport; the Iriebe city will be at the old toll gate, while the Energy
City to house most of the oil companies will be located at an island while the fourth city will be
situated at Isaka. All these are geared at decongesting the over congested Port Harcourt. Some of the
viable projects initiated by his predecessor are receiving adequate attention like the on-going fly-over
project in the State capital. This is a true revolution aimed at changing the face of Rivers State
positively!

Governor Rotimi Amaechi is committed to peace, unity and development of the State through dialogue
and overtures to aggrieved persons and organizations. The formation of Peace, Reconciliation and
Truth Commission by Governor Amaechi is a commendable, sincere and pragmatic step in the right
direction. This Commission at the last count has received from the general public about 108
memoranda.  For Gov. Amaechi to have subdued militancy in the State particularly subjecting Tom
Ateke the Leader of the dreaded Niger Delta Vigilant Group (NDVG) to toe the path of Peace by
visiting and supervising the destruction of the evil forest at Okirika and erection of an ultra-modern
hospital in its place shows the stuff the Governor is made up. Today, Ateke has directed all his
members in the NDVG to team-up with the Niger Delta Non- violent Movement (NDNM to now fight
for peace in Rivers State instead of maiming Rivers people.

To realize all these projects, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State had presented a budget of
N280, 081,134.099 which he intends to use to start the rebuilding of a new Rivers State. He said that
he is in a hurry to develop the State and restore it to its past vision of the founding fathers. The
Governor  has divided the sectors to be tackled under the budget into three where the economic
sector has N101,652,160,050 representing 36.29 percent., the Social sector has N139, 358,122,050
or 49.76 percent and the Environmental sector N39, 070,851,099or 13.95 percent.

Finally, the fact remains that it will be highly impossible to recall all that this visionary has done to
alleviate the suffering of the people of Rivers State as it is also very obvious that not many individuals
would have had the composure, grace and wisdom to adapt easily to the rudiments of governance and
achieve the much Governor Amaechi has so far achieved in his first one hundred days, considering
the excruciating hurdles he scaled through few months back to mount the saddle. He truly deserves a
pat on the back and the support of all Rivers State people in order to achieve more particularly now
that it has being obvious that he will rule the State till October, 2011 considering the withdrawal of the
case instituted by Dr. Abiye Sekibo against the ruling of the Supreme Court declaring Amaechi as
Rivers State Governor and the no case situation of the petitioners before the Election Tribunal. This
sacrosanct fact makes the thinking in some quarters that Amaechi’s government is a transition
government a wishful thinking in the minds of deluded personalities. To achieve all these and still be
termed to be a ‘roving and go-slow governor’ is to me mischievous and a futile attempt to misguide
the Rivers State and the general public. 100 days in office may not be enough to judge a government,
but from what Amaechi has achieved within this short period couple with the undiluted alliance with
another great mind in the Person of Tonye Princewill the sky is truly the limits of the new Rivers
State’s glory.

Eze Chukwuemeka Eze is a Media Consultant based in Port Harcourt