Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has been part and parcel of the Nigerian political system since the defunct third republic where he cut his teeth as the Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in his native Ikwerre local government council at the tender age of 25.
Since then, there has been no looking back as he went on to serve as the Special Assistant to the then Governor Rufus Ada-George on student matters and as a personal assistant to the then Deputy Governor Peter Odili who was his political godfather as the latter brought him into politics after Amaechi served him as the Public Relations Officer of his PAMO Clinic in the late 1980’s. He later went on to serve on the board of directors of the state owned Risonpalm.
During the Abacha years, he was the Rivers State Secretary of the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) – one of the five political parties that were allowed registration by the late Maximum Dictator.
When the fourth republic berthed in 1999, he served as a two time Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor of Rivers State for eight years and Minister for Transport for close to eight years. He came second in the primaries that the current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu won under the APC. To use Nigerian parlance, he has enjoyed juicy positions in the Nigerian polity.
Speaking in Abuja on January 30, at a national conference with the theme ‘Strengthening democracy in Nigeria’, organized by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development, he said: “Nobody has power and will give it to you – not even me…. The politician in Nigeria is there to steal, maim, and kill to remain in power. If you think Tinubu will give it to you, you are wasting your time.”
In the audience were former Vice-President and serial presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile FCT Minister and Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and ex Governor of Sokoto State and current serving Senator, Aminu Tambuwal.
Amaechi despite being a politician all his adult life is reputed to be a straight talker – a trait rarely found among politicians even in the West where our democracy was cloned from.
This quip by Amaechi didn’t go down well with the current powers that be and as expected his head was called for.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle blasted the Ikwerre born politician for making such ‘reckless, dangerous, and inflammatory remarks which were unbecoming of a ‘former public office holder.’ Matawalle went on to say that power is earned through democracy, not intimidation, violence, or lawlessness.
The response by Matawalle is rather ridiculous as the foundation of our democracy since the fourth republic has been built on blood. Nigerians still recall with chills running down their spines the gruesome murders of the former Attorney-General of Nigeria and the nation’s chief law officer, Chief Bola Ige in his Ibadan residence two days to the Christmas of 2001, the police still hasn’t told us who killed Odunayo Olagbaju in 2001 who was then a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Marshall Harry in 2002, Chief A.K. Dikibo in 2004, Funsho Williams in 2006 amongst many unsolved politically motivated assassinations.
Our polity is blemished by thugs snatching ballot boxes on election days, mindless thumb printing of ballot papers, and the intimidation of political opponents by armed thugs who later turn around to harass the very same politicians who armed them in the first place after they have outlived their usefulness to them.
We recall the infamous words of President Tinubu when he was the presidential flagbearer of the APC. He said in a conference in London: “Political power is not going to be served in a restaurant. They don’t serve it a la carte. At all cost, fight for it, grab it and run away with it.” Those words were unbecoming of a presidential candidate of the most populous black nation on earth. That was sheer gutter language which is supposed to be uttered by motor park touts and the head of street urchins not by a so called American trained chartered accountant. Alas in Nigeria anything goes unfortunately so!
Let us not persecute the messenger but rather critically assess the message and see if it makes any sense. Amaechi did not even exonerate himself from being a sit tight leader and so his frankness should be commended.
Rather than Matawalle pick holes in his statement and fight on behalf of the presidency he should eat the humble pie and learn lessons from Amaechi.
Politics is supposed to be a noble endeavour where the finest of minds and the best of brains in the clime meet and lead the people so that even the weakest of the weak can enjoy democratic dividends.
It is tragic that the worst eleven lead in Nigeria leaving the brightest of minds in exile, behind bars, or six feet below in the worst manner of violent deaths most known to man.
Amaechi’s statement should serve as food for thought not only for the highly discredited political class but the sheepish followers who have from time immemorial being waiting for a messiah to come and save them. The followers should realize that the ultimate political power rests in their hands and they can mobilize their large numbers to prematurely retire any politician that wants to transpose into a monarch.
Amaechi should be commended rather than heckled; a word is enough for the wise.
This is the opinion of the writer and does not represent the view of this platform.
