However Governor
Amaechi should bear in mind that the path of truth and dedication to
good governance which he has chosen to take is seldom travelled. It is
fraught with potential enemies and distortions by many who stand
against the truth-who also selfishly think that much should accrue to
them personally. These factors are likely to tilt results away from
the expectations he had at the beginning.
GOV.ROTIMI AMAECHI:IN THE DESERT OF GOOD
GOVERNANCE by Chiso Obiandu
When I learnt that Gov. Rotimi
Amaechi of Rivers State set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(TRC) chaired by the retired revered Justice Kayode Eso, I feigned
indifference of the highest order. Though I keenly followed the events
as they unfolded at the then Justice Chukwudifu Oputa panel- which
bears characteristics akin to this, I also knew that setting up of the
Commission was an effort geared towards bringing peace to the long
troubled and scary state, I could not put things into perspective and
appreciate that no matter what happens- whether the Commission will
find the ‘Truth’ and bring the ‘Peace’ or not, a lot will be exposed
none the less.
I have on numerous occasions
avoided any commentary on Odili’s administration in Rivers state- due
solely to the fact that even as I write, I am yet to come to terms
with the simple fact that governance in the twenty-first century can
be that insensitive to a people’s plight.
No objective and well meaning
Rivers indigene or anyone who independently made an assessment of
former governor Peter Odili could have been so extravagant to give
that administration any fair score. It was eight years of wastefulness
and governance that lacked purpose. Like I have said over and again,
Olusegun Obasanjo was a very fatal political accident in the history
of Nigeria. Yet in that era, Obasanjo could boast of banking sector
reforms and a few others even though they were covered by all forms of
deceit; but I do not know of anything which Odili himself could look
back and say- confidently and objectively, ‘this is what I did for my
people in eight years.
Last week I caught an old time
friend at the airport en-route to Abuja and as we shared old memories,
we deviated into full time gist about Rivers state-my home and where
heresides. One thing led to another and so on but he gave
Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s government a good score. As a way of
confirming my friend’s assessment of the Governor, I made calls to
several people in the state and all collaborated my friend’s appraisal
of the governor. One person- Inkoba George-Kelly gave me lucid report
of the governor’s performance and remarkably ended by saying ‘…
even now that the rains are here with us, flooding in Port Harcourt
seems to be a problem of the past. Odili could not even clear the
drainages”. It was that bad.
I remember clearly my visit to
the state in August 2007. The deplorable state of roads in rivers
state was clearly visible; even with the so much noise that Odili made
about his Independent Power Project (IPP), the overwhelming darkness
at night and unavailability of power supply to economic unit was a
timely testimony of the failure of that much acclaimed effort; other
infrastructure were not silent either nor was the screwed educational
system. I looked everywhere for what I could give credit to Odili’s
administration but found none To crown it all, it heavy shelling that
signalled that my time was up. That was what the state inherited from
the eight years of a civil misrule.
Back to the issue of the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). There is no doubt that the best
way to achieve these (truth and reconciliation) is first, to bare out
minds- in order to discover from where we collectively or individually
took the wrong path; and then, agree on where and how to make amends
for the sake of our future together. A step towards consolidating
peace in the state.
Without holding brief for
governor Amaechi, setting up the Commission was a step that indeed
required courage and depictive of the fact that his contributions to
the innumerable problems that has apprehended the state- if any, is
nothing that cannot be told the people in the public. Nothing to hide
indeed. Solemnly, I declare my neutrality. I am neither on the side of
Governor Amaechi nor that of Odili. I am only on the side of reason
and the people’s welfare
If only all Niger-Delta
governors can take this move of courage and decide to tackle
criminality like governor Amaechi is doing in River state, things
would be taking a change for the better in that region. What we have
seen overtime is a situation where sitting governors indirectly
supported criminality for selfish reasons. I was not alarmed in
anyway when Odili told the Commission that as governor he was neither
in control of the police nor armed forces. Perhaps the only thing he
did not add was that that was the reason he did nothing about the ugly
trend.
The proceedings at the
Commission are even full with bizarre discoveries, revealing to what
extent humans can be unrepentant. I can forgive the masses-the praise
singers and borrowed crowd who accompany their paymasters to the
Commission’s sitting to extol even their failures -after all it is the
work which the harsh economy has conditioned them to do and they must
work to be paid. What I cannot understand-much more forgive, is why
even after eight years the paymasters have shown no act of contrition.
After they milked our treasury dry without meaningful projects to show
for it, after they have mislead our youths to wielding arms and
banditry, after our sons and daughters have been slain; they bear no
iota of remorse. They even threaten to unleash more if the hands of
time were turned backwards.
I have told people to
disregard Odili’s praise singers and ignore other notable
individuals-who are beneficiaries of that regime’s lack of commitment
to the people-those who individually may have gained what the entire
state lost in eight years. Peter Odili wasted eight whole years of
what was once a people’s future in Rivers state. Nothing less than
that
In my opinion- and that of
other numerous ‘Niger-Deltans’ I believe; the spate of criminality and
possession of arms in the region can first be traced backwards to the
chop-I chop regime which began in 1999. It was the inability to
deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry in those first
four years and the sit tight resolve of then unmerited incumbencies
that distributed guns and armoury en mass to the youths of the region.
Followed by hidden interests in bunkering activities and the quest to
control the politics of the independent states.
But can the self acclaimed
power blocks in Rivers state own up any guilt? Can they give a true
account of all their inactions towards the security of lives and
properties in the state they once governed? Can they go further to
reveal the reasons for their inactions-the hidden interest therein?
Can they drop their arrogance and ignorance and apologise to Rivers
people that they failed? Can they sincerely seek true reconciliation?
I doubt that the TRC would be
able to unmask the killers of Marshal Harry and A.K Dikkibo-
illustrious sons slain in the vicious circle of strive for control of
power; I do not know how far they can go in establishing who armed
who, why and how or could they ever get it established that the good
people of Rivers state did not get what they deserved in the period
1999-2007. I also fear that true reconciliation may not be achieved in
the end as the key players own no guilt yet.
However Governor Amaechi
should bear in mind that the path of truth and dedication to good
governance which he has chosen to take is seldom travelled. It is
fraught with potential enemies and distortions by many who stand
against the truth-who also selfishly think that much should accrue to
them personally. These factors are likely to tilt results away from
the expectations he had at the beginning. I implore him not to derail
no matter what happens. He would never be alone on that path
regardless of how it may seem. If the power blocks decide not to
cooperate with him, millions of Rivers people who in addition to a
life in abject poverty lack basic infrastructure which could create
some succour; those who also live in fear since the state turned into
a jungle since the last administration- the same very people who
deserve good governance; will silently trample this road with the
governor.
In the meantime, I rest with
the assurances that in the end good will triumph over evil- that
someday, somehow, our democracy will move away from the dictates of
money bags and corrupt politicians: that the good people of Rivers
state will get good governance and value for money. These are as
governor Rotimi Amaechi’s actions make me believe that Rivers people
will never again look at the future and feel so sorry for what they
have lost in the past because the future now seems even brighter. Yet
I must confess that when Governor Amaechi reared the ambitions of
becoming the governor of Rivers state, it made no difference to me. I
could not notice this man’s quest to improve the lot of his people.
But now, ‘I BELIEVE’.
