It is no mean feat being a Speaker in a state House of Assembly for eight years and later on a state governor for eight years before becoming a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after propelling a new political party to victory as Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organization.Only sheer don’t of hardwoork can elevate one to that enviable level.
The struggle to the top and its challenges are some amongst the many issues very few people know about Rotimi Ameachi.
Rotimi Ameachi has over the years been an enigma that many fail to understand. He is a man that can listen and also speak out his mind. One major event however that will later surprise many is the question of how and why Rotimi Ameachi left the People’s Democratic Party and Goodluck for the All People’s Congress and Buhari.Why they parted ways is a story that has told of how an easy-going man and politician left the ruling party for a new formation many dismissed as a feather weight that cannot oust an incumbent President. Only men with principles do that. Ameachi is a man of principles. He was not attracted to wealth and power but the need to stand his ground.
A man not to be triffled with ,he made a stance when Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan snatched a microphone from him to the shock and consternation of those present at the public event when it happened.. Naturally , as a sitting governor then, he has every reason to be annoyed, yet he kept his cool until hangers -on around Patience Jonathan ensured that the president was dragged into the quagmire.As if the situation was bad enough,but would further degenerate while Ameachi was seeking channels to pacify the situation and to avoid pitfalls.
In an effort to make peace , Ameachi approached a former president and elder statesman,General Ibrahim Babangida who invited them to settle and broker peace.At the meeting all appeared to be going on well when Ameachi sought forgiveness for whatever might have happened. Babangida asked them to sheath their swords for the good of their party,PDP and the nation at large .Goodluck Jonathan said everything was okay with ,but the catch is that Ameachi must seek forgiveness from Patience Jonathan on a humiliating manner by African tradition .This clearly an attempt to ridicule him at a time he was Chairman of the Governor’s Forum. This ,of course, will only belittle him and portray him as a bootlicker .The proud self-respecting man in him could not take it,and Goodluck Jonathan did not foresee the doom that lingered on his way to another tenancy in Aso Rock.
As a result of Jonathan’s miscalculation of Ameachi’s political worth, serious damage was done to the party as a large body of governors stuck to their chairman thereby crippling PDP’s campaign efforts. The victory of APC at the presidential election came to many as a surprise,but those who know this Rivers born political strategist can attest to the fact that with him in charge of any assignment, it will not come as a surprise as far as positive results are concerned.Unbiased observers can testify that he wrote his name boldly on present day Rivers State that moved in leaps and under his watch as Governor then. As a Minister overseeing the transport ministry ,the railway system that had been comatose improved tremendously.The opening of Kaduna -Abuja and several other networks linking cities in the country are clear pointers to a much improved railway system that will ease the transportation of
goods ,services and humans traversing all angles of Nigeria.
At a time like this ,the country needs people like Ameachi to pilot meaningful areas that need articulate ,business minded and youthful men that are trained to face the challenges of modern technologies and understand the need for development more especially at this point in time when all needed is innovation ,a prerequisite for industrial development.
The services this man has to offer his country cannot be quantified ,just as they are still needed.It’s just a matter of time that the sentiments bedeviling our society will not deny us the benefit of good things that can be attained with our God given resources that include both human and mineral.
Ever wondered why he is called the LION OF THE NIGER DELTA?
