Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, says he maximised every opportunity given to him in public service and delivered visible results across the offices he held, from Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly to his time in the Federal Executive Council.
Speaking in an interview with Charles Aniagolu on Arise TV’s Prime Time, Mr Amaechi reflected on his political journey, noting that while he does not consider himself the best, he seized every opportunity with seriousness and purpose.
“It’s not because I am the best,” Mr Amaechi said. “I had the opportunity, and I utilised the opportunity. When the chance came to become Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr Odili and I discussed it, and he supported it. I became Speaker and did my job well.”
Mr Amaechi, who served as Speaker from 1999 to 2007, was later elected Chairman of the Conference of Speakers. He expressed doubt over whether the forum is still active, saying, “Since I left, I wonder if that forum is still in existence.”
He went on to serve as Governor of Rivers State between 2007 and 2015, emerging through a Supreme Court judgment after being controversially dropped from the ballot by his party.
“I became Governor by the grace of God, Dr Odili, the people of Rivers State and the Judiciary,” he said. “Now the question is: did I perform? Of course I did.”
‘Don’t Give Me an Assignment If You Don’t Want Results’
Responding to Aniagolu’s remark that most politicians would naturally claim to have performed, Mr Amaechi challenged viewers to call residents of Rivers State to assess his legacy.
“People are building flyovers now and making noise. I built six flyovers without making noise or inviting the President to commission them. I built primary schools. Let any other Rivers Governor say he did that,” he said.
According to him, he also constructed secondary schools with facilities and accommodation so advanced that people mistook them for universities.
“Two children per room,” he explained. “I brought in a management agency from India to run the schools. They brought in science teachers from India and we used Nigerian teachers for arts.”
When asked what became of those schools, he lamented that they had been abandoned and vandalised.
“That’s why I don’t go to Rivers State. It gives you mental disorder,” he said, adding that even a new city project powered with 24-hour electricity was left to rot.
Highlighting his achievements as Minister of Transportation, Mr Amaechi listed key infrastructure projects he led, including:
Completion of the Lagos–Ibadan railway
Completion of the Lekki Deep Sea Port
Inland Dry Port in Kano, which he said included a free primary and secondary school
Continuation and completion of the Kaduna–Abuja rail, which was started under former President Goodluck Jonathan
Ongoing construction of the Kano–Maradi rail line
“Don’t give me an assignment because I will deliver it,” he said. “I won’t go around abusing people. That’s maturity.”
‘Your Name Must Mean Something’
Mr Amaechi shared a personal moment about the importance of integrity, recounting conversations with his second son.
“If I do something wrong, my son says, ‘Dad, you are not the only Amaechi. I bear that name too.’ So if I stain the name, it affects him and others,” he explained.
He expressed concern that many politicians today show little regard for personal character or how their actions impact their children and families.
“They don’t seem to think their children should be ashamed of them,” he said.
Mr Amaechi’s comments come amid growing scrutiny of public office holders in Nigeria, with questions being raised about service delivery, personal accountability, and legacy.
