A Strategic Economic Thinker, The Governor of the Masses, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi

Aside HRH Alfred Diete-Spiff former military governor of Rivers State, there had not been a governor of Rivers State that has delivered concrete evidential socioeconomic project in the history of the state more than Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. I know my traducers will cast their usual aspersions on me and call for my delisting as NGO personality in the globe but the truth must be told.
As international trained budget tracker ,we were able to track the state budget and it’s economic deployments from UNDP desk throughout Amaechi’s tenure.
The only Statistics year book ever produced by ministry of economic planning in Rivers State since the last 25yrs was done by that administration in collaboration with UNDP and ISSJHR as consultant. That document remains the only economic guild till date.
As a UN consultant I can vividly recall that that administration attracted over 6 million USD deployed for capacity building alone. Most MDAs were trained to optimally deliver social services to the people. I know the names of perm secs ,directors , head of departments ,RSSDA , NACA , Min of budget and economic planning ,Health, Education ,Agriculture, RVHA etc were beneficiaries. Have dates of such training and venues and names of attendees for record purposes. Rivers State socioeconomic performance indicators rose to 67% base on UNDP rating.
The education sector was rated by UNESCO as one of the best in Africa. UNICEF rated the pediatric health sector highest in Nigeria. Also on education sector we became world book Center. I make this eloquent assertions because i was involved in the international arena within UN/ Nigeria strategic partnership . Without a properly articulated economic blue print capped with verifiable economic performance indicators based on internationally accepted standards these developments would have eluded Rivers people.
Rivers State came first in 2010, 2011,2012 2013 as the best UN donor fund management and implementable matrix state in Nigeria. Those in doubt can approach UNDP desk on strategic partnership. This was made possible by an in dept analysis of a government bent on development based on knowledge, impact of counterpart funding for development and strategic global thinking .
Within my area of involvement I can attest that the M and E component of UN was tapped into the state for the purpose of basic socioeconomic deliverables which beneficiaries were both rich and poor in the state.
Stabilized economic outcome was used as a social tool to fight insecurity and it worked like magic because crime rate reduced from 47% in 2007 to 21% in 2011.
Rotimi Chibuike Ameachi as a liberal socialist deployed the peoples resources back to the people hence the amplified rift between him and the dry conservatives within the state.
The children of the poor can go to a well equipped school with all modern educational facilities ,the gap between the lower class and middle class closed up a bit, same as the middle class and upper class. The dry conservatives became jittery and apprehensive of class undermine and a grand design to return the state to a few hands begone.
What this later group forgot is that “No society can have peace in the mist of extreme poverty and extreme illiteracy. All the riches of the rich can be ruined by these later group in minutes”.
To be continued.
Dr Omenazu Jackson is the Chancellor International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights.