Tag: Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi

Christmas usually comes with lot of expectations and happenings. For many, it is a period to share, show love and lots more.

And so, for the Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Christmas season will not be complete if majority of Nigerian public does not enjoy fully the results expected from him in the discharge of his duty as Minister of Transportation.

With so much achievements already recorded in the transportation sector under him, one would not hesitate to concur that Amaechi has proved his mettle.

How Amaechi is providing desired development in the position he occupies is a case study that every potential leader who desire success should emulate.

Amaechi is tireless about bringing the overall change needed in the transportation sector with the privileges at his disposal.

One of those efforts and sleepless nights of Amaechi is the result of the almost completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Railway project by February 2019 with the expectation that  passengers will be conveyed from Lagos to Abeokuta and possibly to Ibadan.

The construction of the Lagos-Ibadan rail project commenced one and half years ago and already it has recorded over fifty percent completion considering the entire components of this project up to the laying of tracks which has already stretched to 90 kilometres and that is about 80 percent completion of the 157 kilometres Rail Line.

Amaechi has achieved a considerable milestone in this regard and with the expectation that the stations are to be completed between Lagos and Ibadan in the New Year. In addition, partners have also been identified for the much talked about Port Harcourt -Maiduguri rail line which has the capacity to integrate the new Port and the new train park in Port Harcourt.

Accordingly, when the North-Western route becomes operational , the inter-connectivity with other West African States will be achieved.

The present administration has consistently pursued the realization of efficient and effective rail transportation for the country in line with the strategic vision for railway transport revival and development approved in year 2002.

Amaechi is pursuing vigorously completing and building new railway lines aimed at ensuring provision of an efficient and affordable transportation that could serve as backbone to industrial development of the various sectors and contribute to non-oil sector to diversify the economy.

Speaking recently while briefing journalists at Paplanto in Ogun State immediately after the inspection of the rail line and monthly meeting of the Project Monitoring Steering Committee of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line, Amaechi said, he had directed the CCECC to ensure that train run on the track by February 2019.

Amaechi further reiterated that the pace of work on the railway project is progressing given that there are minimal challenges that could hinder construction work.

He said the challenge of constant rainfall was no longer there and the contractor has few bridges to be built.

Amaechi also advised the contractors to temporarily suspend work on the construction of stations along the corridor of Lagos-Ibadan rail line and focus on the laying of tracks being the major work at the moment.

In the 2019 year ahead the stations will be completed with a brand new double track between Lagos and Ibadan.

In addition to this giant stride, Amaechi is also embarking on the North western route which connects Katsina, Kano, Gibiya and others.

Also, the coastal line which had been stalled for a very long time is not left out as well. Government has opened up discussion for financiers pertaining to this very important coastal line project which connects Lagos, Benin, Onitsha and continues from there to Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar and passes through the South Eastern states which is about a thousand four hundred kilometres with a link to all the state capitals.

Corroborating Amaechi’s assertions is Engineer Fidet Okhira, Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) that the ministry has achieved much in 2018.

“2018 has been so good. In 2017 budget we got some capital and we were able to do massive projects like never before. We have procured two shutters that we use in loading at our various loading points. Since I joined the Ministry this is the first time we are buying brand new wheels”.

“We bought about twenty four and that will serve four Locomotives and we bought Sixty four Coaches and that will cover about fifteen Coaches. We also acquired some traction motors without which the Locomotives will not work. These are major spare parts required for Locomotives to come back to life and with good Locomotives you can guarantee smooth operation”.

Engr. Okhira further explained that “We are also adding about eighteen container wagons and we have also treated our tracks especially in the flood affected areas”.

For the Abuja-Kaduna train service, the Managing Director said, patronage had increased and the Corporation has been able to meet up with operational standard. He also confirmed that more Coaches had been procured to meet passengers demand.

“The Kaduna-Abuja train service has witness tremendous patronage and we are able to meet up with standard of maintenance. We have acquired more Coaches to accommodate more passengers and we have a target of ensuring that there should be train service every hour for Abuja-Kaduna, Itakpe-Warri and Lagos-Maiduguri train services”.

“As we approach the 2019 year, we intend to do more, we are hoping  that all our dream projects come to reality particularly the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri line, Calabar-Lagos line and the Kano project which is linking Maradi as well as the Central Rail line which is the Itakpe linking Lokoja and then to Abuja. We are also discussing with investors to link Itakpe to the Kaduna Rail line so as to ease people’s movement from the South-South to the North”, he explained.

For M.T. Babakobi, Director, Rail Transport Services in the Ministry, the success story is not different as the Lagos-Ibadan Railway project has achieved over 50 percent completion.

According to him “If you consider the entire components of this project in terms of track, it is 80 percent completed. We are hoping that in the New Year we should be able to have a train ride from Agege district of Lagos to Abeokuta. That’s a major feat in just barely a year and half of commencement of the construction work”.

”What it means is that the track lane has achieved almost 90 kilometres out of 157 kilometres. In the New Year, the stations will be completed and there will be new double track between Lagos and Ibadan. You will agree with me, we have achieved a great feat in the sense that we have been able to identify partners or financiers that are ready to go into the development of the new Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway line and that again has integrated the new port and the new park in Port Harcourt”.

Babakobi also maintained that the Itakpe-Warri rail line has also received much attention by the Minister and his team. He recalled that the project which was abandoned since 1987 got revitalised upon coming on board of the present Administration even though it was originally designed to convey Iron Ore.

As part of government efforts to improve on local capacity for railways, government had propose to the contractors handling the rail way projects to as part of their social responsibility establish a transportation University for Nigeria. The university will have a particular emphasis on railway both in terms of planning, construction, maintenance, operation and management.

Currently, majority of Nigerians, who were working on the railway construction sites, are in China benefiting from the Scholarship programme, an initiative by the Contractor.

Government has also brought in new Locomotives and Coaches to accommodate the increasing number of passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.

Amaechi is determined to see all ongoing projects by his ministry completed at the stipulated time frame.

Going by these plans and achievements of the transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his team, there is no doubt, that in the nearest future, if successive government should key into this laudable initiative of the Minister, Nigeria would have been connected by affordable and modern rail system which will in turn boost economic activities in all parts of the Country.

Already, there are high hopes that in 2019 the Lagos-Ibadan Railway will be fully completed and the rest of the segment from Ibadan to Kano would have commenced even as plans are rife to also commence work in full force on the Warri port, Bonny Island Deep Sea port and the Railway Industrial Park in Port Harcourt.

Amaechi’s resolve is to pursue with vigour railway development in Nigeria through the implementation of the 25 year strategic railway master plan in order to bridge the huge gap that exists in Nigeria’s infrastructures.

Amaechi is also committed to linking all major commercial and production centres in the country by rail for rapid Social Economic Development and improving the quality of life of the citizens.

Amaechi wishes all Nigerians a Merry Christmas and Happy New year in advance.

• Okpara is an aide of the Transportation Minister

For some weeks now Governor Nyesom Wike of the oil rich Rivers State has been commissioning some projects initiated by his boss and predecessor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, with so much fanfare. The governor would assemble some market women and his loyalists at night and invite top political figures outside the state to cut the tape.

After his invited guest would have finished commissioning the project, the Governor would mount the stage and begin to attack the man whom project he is commissioning. The governor does nothing other than criticise his boss and predecessor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

For record purposes however, every Rivers man will not forget in a hurry the collapsed state of infrastructure in Rivers State before Amaechi took over office in May 2007, as the executive governor.

Then, governor Nyesom Wike was Amaechi ‘s Chief of Staff who carried most of these project files that he (Wike) is commissioning today. Some of these projects were awarded to indigenous contractors who would sometimes go through the CoS if they must win the job.

If Wike would be sincere to himself and his invited guests he would humbly give credit to Amaechi for most of the projects he is commissioning .Such singular act would have earned him some applause from Rivers people in particular.

Amaechi may not have placed priory in commissioning projects when he was on the throne, doesn’t mean that he did nothing has been painted by Governor Wike at every slightest opportunity.  Anyway, the governor could go ahead to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to perform the commissioning as he has boasted or even President Donald Trump of America the interesting thing is that Rivers people know who worked and who is re-asphalting and painting projects. The millions of naira expended for the commissioning of these projects would have been used to construct at least the shortest kilometer of road in any parts of Port Harcourt but Wike would not think in that direction. Wike likes groove and unnecessary show off yet he has nothing to offer the people for three years after he was sworn-in as governor.

As the then governor of the state Amaechi focused on project delivery such that a former minister of petroleum Professor Tam David West said, “Any man who cannot see the projects Amaechi is building in all over the State is blinder than a bat”.

Professor West assertion was corroborated by Wike himself when as the then Director General of Amaechi Re-election Campaign Organisation in 2011, he told a mammoth crowd of Amaechi supporters in Ahoada West LGA that “ My boss the governor of Rivers State Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has simplified my work for me.Amaechi’s projects that are in every local government area of Rivers State will speak for us. So believe me,as the DG of his campaign team I can now go to sleep”, Wike said.

As the governor, Amaechi worked tirelessly day and night to bring back the glory days of the garden city. He recognized that his primary function as stipulated in the nation’s statute book was to provide adequate security for the people and to maintain absolute law and order. In addition to that was the massive provision of the basic necessities of life such as water, health care, welfare and so on.

Amaechi promptly and aggressively confronts a task as if he was fighting with his last blood especially when it has to do with the issue of insecurity .He waged war against criminality and violence which could affect the revenue base of the state. Then, security was well funded as such; the prevalence kidnapping and terrorism in the state had no hiding place. Youths were meaningfully engaged. Some in crafts, others in sports and some in agriculture as the case may be.

Young school leavers were hopeful of being incorporated into the system due to the prevailing job opportunities. Corp members posted to the state saw no need returning to their home states due to the chances of securing jobs in Rivers State.

Importantly, Amaechi had a shift from sharing public funds to massive infrastructure building especially bridges and roads including a world class stadium which had the capacity to create wealth, jobs etc.

Amaechi also systematically tackled social and physical security through promotion of subsistence farming to venture agriculture just to mention a few.

Amaechi no doubt revitalised the entire state from the decay it was kept by previous government. Then, anyone who lived in the garden city before October 2007 will concur with my view. During his first year in office Amaechi literally turned the state into a busy construction site due to the volume of construction work ongoing. Some of these roads that have gained facelift  due to Amaechi’s intervention are, dualisation of Elekahia road,dualisation of G.U Ake road, construction and dualisation of the Trans Amadi road, dualisation and expansion of Ikwerre road, construction of Obiri Ikwerre inter- change, construction and dualisation of the Owerri/Airport road which is a federal road just to mention a few.

Amaechi was passionate in diversifying the state economy through his passion in investing in agriculture. Here, fish farms were built in some local government areas of the state including the Buguma fish farms. The Ogoni banana farm and the gigantic Songhai farm in Ebubu Eleme are legacies of his administration.

When Amaechi held sway, Port Harcourt was a place to dwell in. It was a place to behold, it was a safe haven for investors and investors who CRA, as fondly called by his supporters, was always on his toes to deliver good governance to his people. Time to time he was moving round the communities in the state to inspect ongoing projects to make the contractors deliver in other to improve on performance and governance.

For Amaechi, governance was a call to duty nothing more. His sense of openness knows no bound, a man endeared with tremendous dynamism and ponderous intelligence. Amaechi was a cynosure of all eyes. For him, his entire years of stewardship for public resources entrusted to him were hinged on openness and truth and transparency with which the process and operations of government businesses are performed.

Amaechi focused on building a new economy that called for massive infrastructural turn around, building of a mega city he called the Greater Port Harcourt City.

The establishment of a world class education system that ignited human capital development through oversea scholarships will not be forgotten in a hurry. Non indigenes resident in the state had no course to worry as they fully benefited from Amaechi’s benevolence. For Amaechi, there was nothing like a non-indigenous status in Rivers, there was no segregation at all. This principle of oneness saw Amaechi recruiting over 3000 non indigenes into the state work force. Amaechi consequently reversed the payment of school fees by non-indigenes which was formerly far higher than that of the state indigenes, the fees were pegged at flat rate for all and sundry.

Amaechi’s model primary schools are spotted all over the state including the remote communities, the purpose was to bring education closer to the people. The era when children had to travel a far distance to neighboring communities to acquire knowledge became history. Amaechi model primary and secondary schools were akin to standard university in some African countries, Amaechi  received wide spread commendation from both local and international bodies for building schools which are likened to higher institutions of learning.  The schools were fully equipped with modern facilities to aide learning especially for science students.

Amaechi’s Education Commissioner Dame Alice Nemi bagged an education ambassador award. Amaechi’s education policy “education for all is the responsibility of all was key to his administration’s mission statement. Amaechi was poised to providing quality education for his people, thus; his slogan, ‘Bring the child to school naked we will provide school uniforms, bags, sandal, books including computers for every child.”

Just like every other project he ventured in ,Amaechi embarked on affordable health care delivery. His health policy also received commendation with the introduction of free Medicare for all. Be you indigene or non-indigene ,all you required was to work a stone throw to access the health centers and you would get treated free of charge. The specialist hospitals were there for referral purposes, no matter the nature of illness you were hopeful of getting treated for free.

Prompt payments of workers’ salaries and pensions for pensioners were not left out at the time. Civil servants promotion exercise which became almost a dead matter reinvigorated. Civil servants of the state rose up to their duties of providing effective services to government and they both added value to their jobs because of the robust relationship that exist between them and government. That was the Rivers State that I know, a State of so much possibility.

In May 27, 2015, the immediate past failed Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi made very disheartening comments about the incoming administration of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Amaechi said, ‘’ I’m not joking, we have no money anywhere. In Rivers State, no money. I think Nyesom Wike is coming, we are waiting. He will look for money for salary; there is none. But when he pays out salary, we will see if any of them can do what we did in this state: whether they can build the schools, the roads, even to get a loan’’.

After the prophecy of doom above, he ran to Abuja to await news of the collapse of Rivers State.  He was sighted at the Eagle Square happily playing the talking drum in anticipation of the failure of Governor Wike.

Since May 29, 2015, Amaechi has been waiting in vain. Rather than hear news of despair, he is hearing daily reports of celebration.  Rather than hear tales of woe, he has been hearing stories of endless commissioning of projects.

The Third Year Anniversary Celebration of the Wike administration has become a major headache to the immediate past failed Rivers State Governor.  Since May 23, 2018 Governor Wike has been rolling out key projects across the three senatorial districts.

As a statesman, Governor Wike has made it a point of duty to invite leaders from all political divides and interest groups to commission projects as part of the Third Year Anniversary Celebration. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Obi of Onitsha, Oni of Ife, Former Plateau State Governor, Jonah David Jang, Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara top the list of those who have commissioned major projects in the five weeks.

At the weekend, a frightened Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi received a chieftaincy title at Elele. This time, his testimony has changed.

From Wike is doing nothing to Wike is commissioning projects that he (Amaechi) has executed up to 90percent. I like to see the positive side of everything, even the lies of a failed politician.

At least, Amaechi has admitted that Governor Wike has been paying monthly salaries and pensions, including the four months arrears of salaries and six months of pensions that he used in sponsoring the APC National Campaign.

For the first time, he admitted that Governor Wike is working, even though he tried in vain to belittle the work.

Amaechi’s gnashing of teeth on the Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge commissioned by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara  is uncalled for. He abandoned the bridge at less than 30percent and the contractor fled the site because the contract was not funded. This was acknowledged by Governor Wike during the commissioning of bridge and road.

Let me rehash a background of the all-important Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge that is giving Amaechi sleepless nights.

For two years running, the Nigerian Guild of Editors held their Annual General Conference in Rivers State.  They were opportuned to see the different stages of the Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge first hand.

The Guild of Editors  were opportuned to witness significantly, the progression  of this major Inter-Change, abandoned at less 20 percent completion by the immediate past failed Amaechi administration On July 30, 2016, Governor Wike led the Guild of Editors to inspect work on the Woji-Elelenwo Bridge. At this time, though the contractor had worked under the supervision of Governor Wike for over 9 months, the bridge was yet to get halfway.

From the point where the contractor had reached at the time, Governor Wike and the editors looked across the river into the virgin land and houses on the other side. It appeared as if the project will never be completed.

Aside the Nigerian Guild of Editors, another group that witnessed the progression of the Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was the Nigerian Bar Association.  During their 56th Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt in August 2016, Governor Wike took them on a tour of projects.  The Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was one of the projects that was visited.

Still on that stretch is the Abuluoma-Woji Bridge which was abandoned by the previous administration at 30 percent, but completed by Governor Wike.  Both projects overwhelmed the immediate past Rivers State Governor because of their scoop.

All through the last quarter of 2015 when Governor Wike consolidated the process for the completion of Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge, the reason why the Amaechi administration fled the site was obvious. The project required commitment, strict supervision, dedicated funding and patience.  That failed administration lacked all these qualities.

The Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was awarded by the previous administration in 2009 at N3billion. The same immediate past failed Amaechi administration revalued the road to N11billion.

It refused to fund the project after three years of inconsistency. As a result, the contractor fled the site. Nothing much was done, even though the Inter-Change was critical to free flow of traffic.

Governor Wike personally supervised the paving of the new road which links Woji-Elelenwo through to Akpajo in Eleme Local Government Area.  The governor debated with the contractors at different times, insisting on the best for Rivers people.

From 2015 to 2018, the administration of Governor Wike worked round the clock to deliver this all-important project.

The project is now an architectural masterpiece.  A beauty to behold and a golden manifestation of quality projects delivery. It is furnished with streetlights, flyover, under-pass, 750 meter bridge and a link road.

On June 8, 2018, the Rivers State Government delivered this brand new road to the good people of the state. It was a celebration of performance as men of goodwill gathered irrespective of party affiliation.

The Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was commissioned by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara.  He was overwhelmed by what he saw. His joy was written on his face. The relevance of the project transcended party politics.

He saw first the hard work of a leader committed to the welfare of Rivers people.  This spurred Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara to make very profound declarations.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara described the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as a refiner’s fire and a fullers’ soap, who has diligently transformed Rivers State.

He said: “This governor is a consummation of excellence.  He is a representative of a refiner’s fire and a fuller’s soap. A refiner’s fire separates impurities from the gold and leaves the gold intact.

“Refiner’s fire brings out the best. A fuller’s soup removes dirts and leaves the cloth sparkling clean. I am exceedingly proud of what Governor Wike has done “.

He congratulated the people of Rivers State for the luck of having Governor Wike who is thriving in excellence.

The Speaker noted that though he belongs to the APC, as a parliamentarian, the entire country is his constituency. He noted that only tribalists are restricted to their tribes and political parties.

According to him, democracy has no place for tribalists, because they don’t value performance.

“I wonder why someone will look at this project and say nothing exists. If that is the case, the person is a tribalist. As citizens, we celebrate excellence and we must celebrate Governor Wike”, the Speaker said.

He said that in some other states, projects of the nature of Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway would be celebrated for weeks.

At the commissioning ceremony, Governor Wike explained why he invited the Speaker of the House of Representatives to commission this massive project.

“I don’t want to invite my party person to commission this project. If I do, they will say I am playing tricks. That is why I invited a leader from another party to commission it. We are committed to the welfare of Rivers people “, he said.

The former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, deserves our heartfelt sympathy.  He set the stage for Wike to fail, but Wike jettisoned failure and is now Nigeria’s best performing governor.

He is in deep national crisis because the performance of Governor Wike is in the public domain.  The appreciation is genuine and the state-wide acceptance is unprecedented.

In the face of national failure, Governor Wike has established a template for success and good governance.  He has reached out the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State without discrimination and continues to develop projects in hitherto neglected communities.

From Ikwerreland to Ekpeye-land through to Kalabari communities down to Ijaw, Etche, Ibani, Abua-Odual, Ndoki, Okrika, Andoni, Ogoni and others, no ethnic nationality in the state has been abandoned.

That was why Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike during the flag off of   Kira-Nonwa-Barayira-Sime-Eteo Road in Tai Local Government Area boldly declared:

“This is just three years and we have reached the 23 Local Government Areas. Let anyone come from any local government area, come forward to say that we have not executed project in his council.”

Rather than dwell on daily lamentations on the overwhelming success of Governor Wike, Amaechi should be honourable enough to apologise to Rivers people for stealing their resources to sponsor the worst Federal Government since the nation gained independence.