I Became Governor Through God, Odili And The Judiciary, Not Wike - Amaechi

 Excerpts of Charles Aniagolu (CA) 's interview with ex-Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi

Amaechi: It's not because I am the best, I had the opportunity I utilised the opportunity so when opportunity came for me to be the Speaker of the Parliament. Dr Odili and I spoke, he felt it was important I became the Speaker, I said okay I became the Speaker and utilised the opportunity. The problem is not when you get the opportunity the problem is what do you do with the opportunity and God knows I was one of the best Speakers this country had produced at that material time. I don't know what's happening now maybe there are better Speakers than I was but at that time nobody will deny me the fact that I performed my duty as Speaker. I was elected to be the Chairman of Speakers Forum, since I left as Chairman of Speakers Forum I wonder if that Forum is still in existence.

Again I became Governor too by the grace of God, by the grace of Dr Odili and the people of Rivers too and the Judiciary, because at the end of the day the Judiciary pronounced me Governor. Now when I was sworn to the office of the Governor, you will ask the question did you perform? Of course I did.

CA: Well, You will say you performed, wouldn't you? You are not going to say you didn't perform, nobody will say that..

Amaechi: I will like you to open your phone lines and call people from Rivers State. People are building flyovers here and making noise, I built six flyovers, they are there without making noise and I didn't call President to come and commission them. I built primary schools, let any other Governor in Rivers State who built primary schools come forward and say so. I built secondary schools that people were calling Universities. Two children per room in those schools and I got an Agency in India to come and manage those schools, so they brought science teachers from India and Art teachers from Nigeria.

CA: What's happened to them now?

Amaechi: Abandoned, vandalised

CA: It must break your heart?

Amaechi: That's why I don't go to Rivers State because it gives you mental disorder. Now within that period we tried to build a new city, we have finished with 24hr power supply, it was abandoned and vandalised. I am not one that, you see, the thing with me is don't give me an assignment, I will deliver. Okay, let's go to Ministerial appointment, I began and completed the railway from Lagos to Ibadan, I began and completed the Lekki Deep Sea Port, from beginning and got it completed before I left office. Go to Kano, there is an Inland Dey Port that I completed, and I told the owner of the Inland Dry Port that you must build a Primary and Secondary school here, to enable the children who run after us when we come here go to school free-of-charge and he did that. I commenced the construction of Kano-Kaduna, I completed Kaduna-Abuja which was started by President Goodluck Jonathan, I started the Kano-Maradi and it's going on so, don't give me an assignment because I will discharge it responsibly. I won't go about abusing people, talking... Maturity.

Let me tell you what my second son tells me; we normally have conversations as a family, you know current politicians are not ashamed, they don't bother about their name, they don't bother about their character. If I do anything that is wrong you know what my second son will tell me; Dad you are not the only Amaechi, I am too. So if you do something that rubs off on the name Amaechi, it affects all of us, but if you do something that affects your Rotimi I don't mind that but unfortunately you are not just Rotimi but Rotimi Amaechi and there are so many of us who bear the name. So members of my family are always cautious because of that name.

Most politicians now don't think about their name or their character, I wonder whether they don't think their children should be ashamed of themselves.