Amaechi @ 56 : Celebrating An Icon Of Good Governance And Human Capacity Builder - Hon. Marshall Israel.

 Amaechi @ 56 : Celebrating An Icon Of Good Governance And Human Capacity Builder - Hon. Marshall Israel.

Most people think that my loyalty to you is a function of my position as Federal Commissioner in the Public Complaints Commission which you nominated me. They may be right even though you have been betrayed by some people you made Politically but my loyalty, respect and love for you goes beyond my position as Federal Commissioner.

What they fail to understand is that My philosophy and ideology about leadership and Governance are in tandem and in consonant with yours. Your penchant and commitment to lifting and assisting the downtrodden agrees with my spirit.

My loyalty and love for you started when you built the roads in Mba Clan and gave us electricity as Governor. The two gigantic bridges linking Umuaturu and Apkoku Communities are testaments of your democratic benevolence in Mba Clan including the boundaries between Obite, Egbelubi-Ndashi Communities and Imo State as tared road ended there.

Surprisingly, there was nobody from Mba Clan in your Government as either Commissioner or Special Adviser who could have reminded you to do the roads in Mba Clan as the case maybe. The question is, who reminded you to remember Mba Clan? It therefore convinced me that you were a Governor for all and not for Politicians alone and your few friends. Time will fail me to enumerate your human and infrastructural projects in Etche LGA.

Your administration completed over 900km equivalent of the road distance between Lagos and Maiduguri and represents 64.2 per cent of the total roads you constructed including bridges and flyovers in Rivers State.

On education, on assumption of office, you assuaged the lingering suffering of Rivers State Primary and Junior Secondary School (UBE) teachers by taking over the payment of their salary from the Local Government Council across the state.

Before you became governor of Rivers State, the salaries of primary school teachers were the sole responsibility of the local government council which made it a nightmare for the teachers to receive their hard earned salary as at when due at the end of every month.

Sadly, the teachers were faced with different forms of maltreatment ranging from delay in salary payment, payment by hand, bribery and corruption, incessant complains and so on.
The innocent teachers cried and prayed for help from the mess for many years.

Prior to 2007, the state’s educational system had broken down, due to years of neglect that left basic infrastructure in the 1,300 primary schools with six classroom each, in ruins. School buildings with dilapidated roofs and where children in overcrowded classrooms sat on bare floor to learn, was a common sight.

The desire to reverse the situation spurred you to declare a state of emergency in the sector. First, you decided to fix the infrastructural deficit by constructing 500 out of the 700 planned new modern 14 classroom primary schools, retraining and recruitment of 13,000 teachers.

In addressing issues regarding healthcare delivery, your administration built over 110 health centres located in nearly all the wards in the state. You also built referral facilities in Port Harcourt – Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital and Dental-Maxillo Facial Hospital. You also employed 200 Medical Doctors and 400 Nurses to man and people the Hospitals and Health centers.

To ensure food security and employment generation, Your government collaborated with the founder of the Songhai Initiative to develop an integrated farm, which combines livestock, arable farming, fisheries, snail farming and poultry on 314 hectares of arable land in Bunu-Tai. You also developed modern fish farms in four councils of the state. The farm in Buguma has a capacity for 1000 tonnes per year then.

Your Other strides in agriculture include, the acquisition of 2,000 hectares of land in Ogoni for the cultivation, production and export of banana for commercial purposes in partnership with a Mexican firm, San Carlos Nigeria Limited. It is expected that about 6 million boxes of banana will be produced from this farm yearly. Under his watch, an agreement was also reached between the Government of Rivers State and SIAT Nigeria Limited for the rehabilitation and replanting of the once moribund 16,000 hectares Risonpalm estate. The rehabilitation of 14,972 hectares in mainly Ubima and Elele have been completed. SIAT had also signed agreement with the state for the rehabilitation of the 7,000 hectare Delta Rubber Company Limited.

Concerned that lack of access to electricity has been observed to be a major constraint to economic growth and increased welfare in modern times, you built two new power stations in Afam, expanded the Omoku and Trans-Amadi power stations. The cumulative capacity of the State’s power plants was above 500 megawatts. You also built about seven transmission stations and distribution injection sub-stations.

In line with your goal to render transparent and accountable stewardship of the resources of the state, in 2008, you enacted a Public Procurement Law as part of the boarder governance reforms and a subset of the public finance management reforms.

By the time you were sworn into office, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy, due to the activities of marauding militia groups and criminals disguised as Niger Delta militants. Mindful that it would be challenging to undertake developmental projects under the prevailing climate of fear, which had forced several multinationals and individuals to leave Rivers State, you vowed to restore law and order.

Backed by the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua, you ordered a major military offensive in December 2007 in some areas that dislodged criminals, cultists and kidnappers and other raids across the state.

You supported the security agencies in the areas of logistics and equipment as well as training of the police anti terror squad in Israel to enhance their capacity to provide security for residents.

You have set a standard that will be difficult to match. One of your major achievements, not even in terms of infrastructure, is in terms of policy you pursued. You showed the highest level of civility, exposure and advancement with the kind of policy you pursued. You eliminated the discriminatory school fees in Rivers State University of Science and Technology between indigenes and non- indigenes in line with your policy of everybody is an indigene of Rivers State.

On human capacity building, you sent thousands of Rivers State Youth to Canada, Australia Germany, United Kingdom, USA etc on scholarship to study sophisticated courses and acquire modern Skills and Certifications. You also established Skill Acquisition Centers in the State.

Your exploits and achievements in the Ministry of Transportation has proven to NIGERIANS that you are a performer. The REVOLUTION in the Rail Way, NIMASA and NPA etc may appear gargantuan to many people but to you, they are ordinary things because you were born to break barriers.

When you were appointed Minister Of Transportation, some people abused you and said you have been abandoned and relegated to the background by PMB. In fact, you were cartooned as a bus Conductor. But today, you have silenced and rubbished your detractors with an unprecedented performance. Your penchant in reviving and revamping moribund institutions knows no bounds.

Not only do you seamlessly adapt to address the emerging challenges from the persistent ones that we face in our society today, but you are also always striving to make things better with new approaches and such unfaltering determination. You have exhibited uncommon wisdom, remarkable vision, and exemplary leadership. You have been a role model and an example of selfless leader to this generation, and I am proud to hold you as someone worthy of emulation. Your headstrong approach and passion to achieve what you set out to do are so remarkable and truly inspirational.

May God bless you with long Life and good health, wisdom and grace in the remaining part of your sojourn on Earth.

Congratulations and Happy birthday.

Marshall Israel.

26th, May, 2021.
Portharcourt.