Politics
That Amaechi’s Style Of Leadership By Example
Leadership can be likened to an art. Whoever does a work of art is called an artist. Works of art definitely spring forth from the heart, it is intrinsic. However, when work is elevated to an artistic level for instance through exemplary leadership, the arrowhead of such a feat can be regarded as an artist. Governor Amaechi could be called an artist in this sense.
In Rivers State, the administration of Governor Amaechi has, in unmistakable terms elevated leadership to an artistic height. His creative ingenuity in crafting a change from what used to be, could be termed an escape from the ordinary and an art of sorts.
Before the emergence of Governor Amaechi, the ordinary man in Rivers State had harboured a negative feeling towards governance. To the citizenry, a feeling that change cannot take place was a familiar sentiment. Change from the old order of contract abandonment, carry go, and sharing of the common wealth of the state was a far-fetched possibility. It was unthinkabl. Infrastructure, to say the least, was at the decaying level.
The health industry, hospitals and clinics were elevated to a prescription center where the presiding doctors and health officials only referred patients to their own privately run hospitals. Security of lives and property was as uncertain and dangerously threatened, Cult boys masquerading as ethnic militias held the state by the jugular. The education sector did not fare better as private schools took the shine off public schools with exorbitant fees which the common man could hardly afford. Power generation begged for a touch. Of course, Water Corporation and its responsibility of giving the people good drinking water was non-existence. Road network in the city capital of Port Harcourt was a sorry issue. No wonder, inter – city and intra-city commuting was a horrendous experience.
However, Governor Amaechi happened to be on the driving seat in the State as Governor and not only made change a reality, he made possible a radical drift from the old order. The masses felt a new breeze caress them. This he did by revamping the infrastructural decadence in the State. For the first time after the departure of Alfred Diette Spiff from the Brick House, the oil wealth in the State was turned into the people’s wealth.
Before Governor Amaechi’s rise to power, the Rivers man never believed a contract could be executed to its end. They never believed that the several roads being constructed today or re-furbished could be done not to talk of finishing them.
But before one could step into the Governor’s massive infrastructural turn-around programmes, there is the important need to talk of his battles with the cult boys in the State which culminated in one way or another into both the insecurity in the State and amnesty saga subsequently.
Quite alright, the Governor was not the one that granted amnesty but his initial refusal to negotiate any deal with militants as his predecessors had one, brought the message of his aversion to them to the fore. This approach made the militants realise the enormity of the menace they constitute to the state and to the masses.
And when it was as if there was to be an impasse in the understanding between his administration and the militants who insisted he must regularly settles them, Joint Military Task Force (JTF) was brought into the State to restore order. After this development security gradually began to sip through the state. The militants got cowed to a reasonable extent. Finally, the amnesty came eventually to help stamp out the menace of the cult boys. Today, Rivers State is one of the safest cities in the country.
Coming away from security, the Governor rolled out a massive agenda of road construction and refurbishment. This agenda has seen such roads like Rumuola to Rumuokwuta, Rumuokwuta to Choba through NTA, Rumuomasi to Rumuobiakani, Ohiamini road starting from Psychiatric Road to Rumuola, Rumuola to Elekahia link Road and a host of others scattered all over the state and not only Port Harcourt metropolis. While some of these roads have been competed others are nearing completion. The Eleme fly – over bridge under this scheme have equally been completed while others are on the verge of completion.
Education is another prominent sector where the governor could thumb himself and his administration up for having done well so far.
First of all, in order to ease the financial burden of Primary School Teachers salaries in the State, the governor elected to take over the payment of primary schools teachers’ salaries thereby creating more funds for the Local Government Chairman to plough into other projects. This impacted positively on the primary education system.
Again, Government further saw the need to inject new life into the primary schools sector and so a total of 350 model primary schools went under a new programme of construction. As at today, 70 to 80% of these schools have been completed. The Governor did not stop there. He followed the primary school style by initiating the construction of 24 new model boarding Secondary Schools all over the 23 local government areas of the state. This new determination to turn around the slide and the drift in education compelled the governor to personally supervise the construction works going on in these Secondary Schools. At the tertiary level, he initiated a bill in the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) that gage birth to the establishment of a law elevating the Rivers State College of Education to University status.
Every sector of the economy under Amaechi’s administration has one reason or the other to blossom. Thus, in the health industry, 160 health centers have been constructed around the state. These have also been properly equipped with modern health apparatus to properly handle issues of primary health delivery. In the same vein, the secondary and tertiary health needs of the state got a boost through the upgrading of some existing hospitals, such as Niger Hospital Emenike street Port Harcourt.
Interestingly, in the health sector, the governor being aware that infrastructure alone cannot do the work has made the training and retraining of personnel to man state hospitals a cardinal programme of his administration through the recruitment of qualified medical personnels.
Unemployment which was one of the reasons why all manner of vices reared their ugly heads in the metropolis and the state generally got a serious consideration with the establishment of the Ministry of Employment and Youth Empowerment. Sustainable development which was to have a direct impact in the state through series of programmes geared towards emancipating the citizenry from the clutches of hunger and starvation had an agency of its own. Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), an autonomous agency set up as multi-sector intervention agency under the office of the Governor to whom the RSSDA Directors report regularly. This statutory establishment with its enabling laws is empowered to undertake projects in a wide variety of areas including youth development and re-orientation, SMES, Education, health, Skills Acquisition, Employment, Local Government, etc.
Principally, the agency tackle rural poverty, build effective community institutions and viable local economies across the rural areas including urban slums but emphasis however here is on youth development.
Within its short period of existence, RSSDA has established scholarship schemes for indigent students both abroad and internally. Under this scheme, over 1,500 students are already studying aboard in different universities. The countries working in liason with RSSDA include UK, Singapore, Canada and Benin Republic, locally too, students are sponsored under this programme.
In agriculture, the agency has set a record in aquaculture and related sectors in the state. Basically, the agency has rigorously supported the production of catfish and fingerlings in the State where millions fingerlings are produced every six weeks for fish multiplication. Cassava production is also supported while enhanced poultry primary is encourage with the stocking of over 45,000 layers which produce enormous quantity of eggs regularly.
To make sure that its programmes are sustained, the Rivers State Government works in concert with the World Bank, USAID, DFID, NNPC, SPDC, NDDC and other agencies of the Federal and Rivers State Government. According to the Director of the Agency, ‘sustainable development is holistic socio-economic transformation of the rural areas of Rivers State with a long term horizon which ensures that the needs of the rural dwellers are met. “This, “ he continued “could only be realised through results – oriented and professionally supported programmes and projects”
There is bountiful evidence to believe that the present Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has no hidden agenda other than to beaqueath a profound legacy of enhanced development whenever he leaves office. However with the sustained and determined drive by the opposition to unseal him, one begins to wonder what the Governor is doing wrong. Is it his determination to revolutionise democracy with his open-door policy, grassroots development, Youth Empowerment, Education for all as is being planned, sustainable development, the construction of a greater Port Harcourt City, development, emancipation of the poor and the needy or what?
Whatever be his sins, the masses in the state are prepared to do any thing to have the hard working Governor come back, if not for any thing for the continuity of the numerous projects that dot the land most of which he either has completed or are between 60-70% in completion. He remains a pace setter.
We at the Center for Good Governance will believe that the people of Rivers State, having suffered so much deprivation should therefore have the best in terms of good leadership which Governor Amaechi exemplifies. Nevertheless should they allow partisan opposition intimidate his administration into capitulation we collectively have ourselves to blame. Continuity is essential in this time.
Nnamdiwrote in from Port Harcourt.
Engr. Chukwu Nnamdi
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.