Rowland Orlu writes that the political indiscretion and the greed for power by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike are coming back to haunt him
Flash back: Most critics of Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi during his time as the Governor of Rivers State put on the toga of sectional and primordial sentiments. They have eyes but couldn’t see; they have ears but can’t hear; they read but lack understanding.
The truth was within, but exhibited falsehood to feed the gullible flesh. Rotimi Amaechi was the governor then who took up the challenge with former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan-led Federal government as it was then, what he perceived as wrongful and forceful arrogation of 36 years of revenue money from Shell to Bayelsa State, instead of Rivers State.
Rotimi Amaechi bore the burden of hate, disrespect, evil plot, physical victimisation and campaign of calumny from Jonathan’s team, led by Chief Nyesome Wike, the Minister of Education as he was then. They did everything possible to truncate Amaechi’s zeal for equity and justice and his selfless service to Rivers people, Suku communities in particular.
Rotimi Amaechi back then pleaded with various Community chiefs, opinion leaders and youths to support his fight against deprivation, irrespective of political affiliation. A fact the vengeful negative critics like Wike as Minister and his community of like minds did not see. Wike and his group replaced patriotism with hate, vendetta and partisanship.
They decided that Amaechi’s visionary drive for Rivers people and the affected communities will not lead to fertility. Maybe Wike thought then, that Amaechi was pursuing that noble course to amass political support and followership. Little did Wike know that the forces of nature were playing pranks with his fate!
The verbal diarrhoea diagnosed then in Wike and PDP provocative physical attacks in league with Mr. Joseph Mbu, their security goon, only shows how feeble and gullible they were against the progress of Rivers State. They lacked facts and reasons. Regrettably, their fight against Amaechi was powered by strong greed for power than to serve the people.
When eventually, Jonathan abused presidential power and ordered that revenue amounting billions should be released to his home state, Amaechi called for town hall meetings with stakeholders. He told them that he took an oath to serve and protect all. He wasn’t a partisan governor and that the time for partisan politics ended with the elections and it was time for governance.
Painfully, Wike and PDP believed that opposition politics was about recklessness and irresponsibility; about tribal or regional sentiments. Wike’s PDP never believed in people’s welfare and truth. They lacked alternative ideas.
The wasp ideology of Wike-led PDP then was a conjecture of a drunk in hallucination, amnesia that lacked moral and logical reasoning. Wike’s diversity became his weakness. The quest for power beclouded his reasoning that Amaechi wasn’t fighting for political power, rather for posterity economic power.
Suku communities lost financial benefits and development. While Rotimi Amaechi then as an opposition governor lived to full expectations of Rivers people, not by relying on political power, but on his pedigree as a servant leader, who is bent on promoting development even in discord and survival in strife.
While Amaechi was legally fighting for our oil wells in the mist of victimisation from Jonathan, Wike and gang were applauding Jonathan. They cling to frivolities in tandem with the dictates of their federal sponsors and never knew that a strong revenue base has been callously snatched.
Ironically, Wike as present governor has been crying wolf concerning the same oil wells he co-joined with Jonathan to deny Rivers People. It beats my imagination how people don’t think about the future generation.
Now, Wike has forcefully assumed power, though with little time left. However, Rivers people are watching if he can display the kind of courage, selfless service and tenacity Amaechi showed in the face of stiff opposition to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of Rivers State and the affected communities.
This is the law of natural justice awaiting governor Wike.
Has Rotimi Amaechi not been vindicated? Has the truth not prevailed?
Waiting for your answers…
– Orlu wrote from Port Harcourt
