First, I want to Congratulate Mr. President on his second tenure victory at the just concluded 2019 elections and commend him for his people oriented projects all over Nigeria. What we need now is consolidation of the existing legacies and build more.
I write as The Federal Commissioner representing Rivers State in The Public Complaints Commission
(Nigerian Ombudsman). One of the mandates of The Public Complaints Commission is to criticize and advise Government when and where necessary. I think that in all ramifications, The Former Minister Of Transportation Rt.Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is qualified to be the Secretary To The Government Of The Federation based on his track records of performance. I want to humbly appeal to Mr President to heed to the cry of many Nigerians urging him to appoint Amaechi Secretary To The Government Of The Federation in order to achieve uptimun results.
Administratively, Amaechi is over qualified. He became the Speaker Of The Rivers State House Of Assembly when Speakers were impeached up-and-down but was able to coordinate the House and left unimaginable legislative legacies with so many laws and bills passed to the benefi of Rivers State. Also, the legislature was able under Amaechi to check executive recklessness and profligacy.
The colossus, Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi need no introduction in the Nigeria political space. When he became the Executive Governor of Rivers State through the historical Supreme Court judgement, he quickly assembled a team of think-tank to help him deliver the dividend of democracy to Rivers People. Consequently, he left a huge foot print in various sectors of the economy such as Security, Health, Power, Education, Agriculture and gigantic infrastructures. He inherited a State that was comatose and moribund economically and rose to the challenge. History has it that Amaechi is second to Alfred Diette Spiff in terms of the Development and advancement of Rivers State.
In 2013 and due to persecution in the PDP, he joined the All Progressives Congress and subsequently became the Director General Of Muhammadu Buhari’s Campaign Organization during the 2015 elections. He transversed the nooks and crannies of Nigeria campaigning for Buhari and the APC. It will not be out of place to State that Amaechi paid the highest price and sacrifice by supporting PMB from the South South region of the Country where The then incumbent President GEJ came from. Every department of the Federal Government, local war lords, militants and Cultists in the South South were deployed against Amaechi and his supporters but at the end, the will of the people prevailed and Muhammadu Buhari became the President of Nigeria to the glory of God.
Before his assumption as Minister of Transportation, the Ministry merely existed; opaque dealings in revenue collection and remittance. In his trademark of impacting lives via quality project, Amaechi upgraded several airports in the country to the standard obtainanable internationally as to improve safety, security and ease of traveling. No competitive economy in the world flourishes without a functioning railway system to transport goods and human. In light of this and despite paucity of fund, Amaechi confronted the moribund railway sector headlong and to the delight of Many, Amaechi is now called ‘MR. RAILWAY, CONNECTING NIGERIA” as his achievements are audible to the deaf and visible to the blind.
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and Nigerian Port Authority were performing below the expectation of Nigerians. In fact, NIMASA and NPA were seen as the conduit pipes for syphoning Nigeria resources. But today, NIMASA under Dr Dakuku Peterside as DG and NPA under Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Director respectively has improved the revenue generation of Nigeria and are now operating in consonant with International standards. These laudable achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the supervisory role of the Ministry Of transportation under Amaechi as Minister. Time will fail me to adumbrate on the improvement and upgrading of Nigerian Maritime Academy, Oron in Akwaibom State and the recently established Maritime University Okerenkokor in Delta State.
Without apologies, President Buhari campaign team as ably led by its Director General/Secretary, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in recent times ran the most strategic, precise and very articulate campaign. It was one of most Professional and issue-based campaigns in the history of Nigerian Politics. It beat the opposition black and blue that it resorted to blackmailing the electoral umpire for unfairness even without factual evidence.
Amaechi is purposeful, competent and has demonstrated administrative and Political capacity and sagacity over the years. Amaechi is result oriented, calculative and people oriented. He embodies the best this country has to offer. Amaechi understands the ideals of faith and sacrifice because they’ve defined his life. From his heroic service as Speaker of The Rivers State House Of Assembly to his years as the Governor of Rivers State to Minister Of Transportation, he has devoted himself to the service of this country. Again and again, we’ve seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. His values and his record affirm what is best for Nigerians. Amaechi believes in a Nigeria where hardwork pays. At a time where political pundits are making permutations and projections on who takes over From PMB in 2023 even when Nigerians are expecting more from this administration, Amaechi is interested in supporting this Government to serve Nigerians better than it has done. Most importantly, Amaechi does not have baggages of corruption attached to him. Amaechi is not an ethnic or religious bigot and that was why he damned the consequences and gave his all for Gen.Muhammadu Buhari. He’s a team player and has the capacity to coordinate the activities of various Federal Government agencies.
This is a transition Government and to further expedite service delivery across every fabric of the economy and rescue the greater populace from the shackles of poverty, it would be apt to appoint someone with a track record that is not easily trounced in service delivery, a person with in-depth knowledge of the challenges of Nigerians and an assets of this administration and most importantly a man whose consistency and hardwork is outstanding. Your Excellency, Mr President, appointing Amaechi as SGF would be adjudged round peg in a round hole and a cautious step towards delivering your campaign promises to the people. I appeal and urge you to so do.
Hon. Marshall Israel
Federal Commissioner,
Public Complaints Commission.
17/06/19
