By Olawale Lamina
The erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has stated that the legacies of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as former Governor of Rivers State, particularly in the era of education is still attracts fortunes and yields results bound to reshape the landscape in the sector.
He stated this on the sidelines of the recent approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the establishment of a University of Environment in Tai, one of the four Local Government Areas of the oil-rich Ogoni region of Rivers State, which according to him, “to be sited in a world class secondary school equipped with top-notch facilities, built under the administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as Governor, ‘ and has continued to attract development in multiple areas despite leaving office a decade ago.
Eze, in a statement made available to the media, said that beyond the landscape of Rivers State, Amaechi’s legacies as Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation are also paving the way for Job creation and other useful opportunities for Nigerians. He particularly cited the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, in Katsina State which is now operational and has continued to engage thousands of Nigerians under its employ.
He noted again that, just recently, in appreciation for setting the pace for the establishment of the College of Medical Sciences, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Amaechi was honored with an award from the management of the institution.
Recall that under his tenure as Governor, the Rivers State University was reckoned as the foremost e-University in Africa. It was still under the administration of Amaechi as Governor that Port Harcourt was declared the World Book Capital by UNESCO, after beating several other cities across the world.
Eze stated that the award was presented to Amaechi at the maiden induction ceremony of the College of Medical Sciences, last week.
According to the chieftain, the Acting Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. Fatima Kyari, thanked Amaechi for initiating the medical college and expressed her belief in the health sector renewal initiative. “Induction is a commencement of a journey into medical practice,” she noted.
Impressed with the good signs of the times, Chief Eze expressed that recent developments around Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi lends credence to the widely-held view of him as not only a man of vision but an elixir to Nigeria gamut of problems.
He stressed that the former governor’s vision and leadership had indeed left a lasting impact on the state and Nigeria at large.
“His efforts to develop infrastructure and education have been notable, and it is wonderful to see that his legacy continue to inspire and influence future development projects.
“The fact remains that Amaechi is a statesman. He doesn’t think like a politician. He is more interested in the future than today. He tried his best to put Rivers State on the world map. The money he would have used to appoint polling unit SA, he used it to build a better future for the next generation. His legacies will continue to speak even in the next generation. It’s not about give me power. It’s about what you do when you get the power.
Eze said it is fascinating that today, President Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has named a Model Secondary school initiated and built by Amaech while as Governor of Rivers State as Federal University of Environment and Technology, Saakpenwa-Ogoni.
He said: “Despite not being in government, Amaechi remain relevant in concerns of development in Rivers State and Nigeria, as his legacies remain rallying points for successive administrations in different ways.
“General Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Soyinka and others who visited Rivers State in 2013 described most of these model secondary schools constructed by Amaechi as better and more equipped than most Universities in Nigeria and in confirmation of this stands by these great Nigerians one of those Schools is today acknowledged and named as a Federal university, kudos to a Man of vision and foresight who teaches us how to use the instrument of public office to make society better.
“The fact that the abandoned edifice is being considered for a federal university is a testament to Amaechi’s foresight and commitment to education. It’s a great example of how visionary leadership can shape the future and create opportunities for generations to come..”
President Tinubu while signing the bill establishing the university highlighted, “Today marks a significant milestone in our national journey towards environmental justice, education and sustainable development.
“The Ogoni (people) have been at the forefront of our development and agitation and have suffered enough environmental degradation,” Mr Tinubu said.
Continuing, the president said: “It is more than the creation of a university. It is the reaffirmation of our unwavering commitment to the people of Ogoni, the Niger Delta and the entire nation as a whole.
“For decades, the Ogoni people have been at the forefront of the fight for environmental restoration and sustainable development, shaping national and global conversations on these critical issues.
“By signing this bill into law, we are taking a decisive step towards addressing historical grievances and creating new opportunities for learning, growth and prosperity.”
He stressed that the university will “serve as a centre of excellence,” equipping young Nigerians with the knowledge and skills to tackle present environmental challenges, drive clean energy solutions, and contribute to our national sustainable economic development.
Mr Tinubu thanked members of the National Assembly for speedy consideration of the bill.
“As we look ahead, I urge all the stakeholders, traditional institutions, the academic community, the private sector, partners and all other youth to embrace this university as a beacon of knowledge, unity and progress,” he said.
“Together, we will ensure that it will not only fulfil its mandate but also stand as a catalyst for transformational development across the country.”
Eze added that it gladdens the heart of every patriotic Nigerian that the new University is recruiting suitably qualified Nigerians across different facilities.
He said that, apart from the above thousands of other jobs will be delivered to Nigerians through this university which establishment was made easy through the sterling performance of Amaechi, inspired by foresight.
In conclusion, Eze quoted, Hon. Anxel Osakwe from Edo State in his effort to drive home the visionary leadership style of Amaechi thus: “Chief, … I must confess after going through the title on How Nigerians are still reaping from the legacies of Amaechi, I came to the conclusion that that is the stuff leaders are made of. If Amaechi live for a hundred years, and God calls him home, can you tell how many generations born and unborn these projects will affect? How about the other two persons? They were also governors. Let them show Nigerians their own projects when they were in office.”
For what the other former Governors achieved, I can only State that one of them boasts of misguided flyovers used to displace those that he claims that he hates so much.
Eze finally commended the former Governor for using every opportunity he has to serve to build for the future of Nigeria and Nigerians and not for selfish adventures as common among Nigerian politicians.
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