Rotimi Amaechi

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Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi
Minister of Transportation
Assumed office
November 11, 2015
Preceded by Idris Umar
5th Governor of Rivers State
In office
October 2007 – May 2015
Deputy Tele Ikuru
Preceded by Celestine Omehia
Succeeded by Ezenwo Wike
Personal details
Born Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
(1965-05-27) 27 May 1965 (age 58)
Ubima Town, Ikwerre LGA, Rivers State, Nigeria
Nationality Nigerian
Political party All Progressive Congress (APC)
Spouse(s) Judith Amaechi
Residence Port Harcourt[1]
Alma mater University of Port Harcourt 1983–87 (BA, English)
Occupation Politician
Profession Politician
Religion Christianity

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (born 27 May 1965) is a Nigerian politician who served as the 5th Governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015. He was re-elected for a second term on 26 April 2011. Amaechi was a member of the People's Democratic Party before defecting to the All Progressives Congress on 27 November 2013. He is now a serving Federal Minister of Transportation.

Early life and education

Amaechi was born in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State to the family of late Elder Fidelis Amaechi and Mrs Mary Amaechi. He was raised in Diobu, a densely populated neighbourhood in Port Harcourt,[2][3] and had his early education at St Theresa's Primary School from 1970 to 1976. He earned his West African School Certificate in 1982 after attending Government Secondary School Okolobiri. Chibuike received a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours) in English Studies and Literature from the University of Port Harcourt in 1987, where he was the President of the National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS).

He completed the mandatory National Youth Service in 1988. He thereafter joined the Services of Pamo Clinics and Hospitals Limited owned by Dr. Peter Odili, the former Governor of Rivers State where he worked until 1992. He is married to Judith Amaechi and they have three boys.

Early political career

Amaechi cut his early teeth in politics as secretary of the now defunct National Republican Convention in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. Between 1992 and 1994, he was Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili, and also a member of the Board of West Africa Glass industry as well as Risonpalm Nigeria Limited. Dr. Peter Odili believed in him as a young man with potential in politics, and adopted him as a political son, guiding and nurturing him in politics, and consequently facilitating his election into the Rivers State House of Assembly in 1999. This relationship between him and Odili translated into a harmonious relationship between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in Rivers State, until when Rotimi Amaechi launched a campaign against the State government, and verbally attacked the image of the State Governor, in an effort to succeed Peter Odili as Governor in 2007.

He was the Rivers State's Secretary of the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) caretaker committee after in 1996 during the transition programme of General Sanni Abacha junta.

Speaker (Rivers State House of Assembly) 1999-2007

In 1999, he contested and won a seat to become a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly to represent his constituency. He was subsequently elected as the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Amaechi was elected the Chairman of Nigeria's Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies. He was reelected into the State House of Assembly in May 2003 and was also re-elected as the Speaker. In 2003 when the National Assembly moved to hijack the legislative functions of the State house of Assembly as enshrined in the constitution, he and his colleagues took the matter to Nigeria's supreme court and the court gave a judgment that the control and supervision of local government is the prerogative of the State House of Assembly.

Governorship

He contested and won the People's Democratic Party primary for Rivers State Governor in 2007. His name was substituted and he took the case to the Supreme court. He became Governor on 26 October 2007, after the Supreme Court pronounced him the rightful candidate of the PDP and winner of the April 2007 Governorship election in Rivers State.

He was reelected for a second term of four years in April 2011.

His administration invested in infrastructure development, construction of roads and bridges sticking to the vision of connecting all parts of the state by road. The governor is also committed to urban renewal and modernization of transportation services as his administration is building a monorail to provide mass transportation within the city of Port Harcourt. Some power plants projects (Afam, Trans Amadi, Onne) are also ongoing or nearing completion to improve power supply in the State. Chibuike Amaechi holds the National honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), is a Christian Catholic and a knight of St Johns.

On 6 March 2014, he gave a speech criticizing the institutionalization of corruption by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying "The response of the regime to corruption is to imprison those exposing corruption. The impunity in corruption is extended to the punishment of those who fight corruption."[4] Specific allegations included "$20 billion is alleged to have gone missing at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) just as both fuel and kerosene subsidy have become questionable."[4]

2015 Presidential Election

Amaechi was appointed the Director-general of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Presidential Campaign. He was then appointed as the Minister of Transportation by President Muhammadu Buhari which was announced on November 11, 2015.

See also

References

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External links

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