By Mcdonald Onu
In
the introduction to the book on Amaechi titled, "Amaechi: His feats, Inspirational and Revolutionary Leadership",
erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic
Party (nPDP) and a member of the APC Legacy Projects Media Team, Chief Eze
Chukwuemeka Eze, introduced his good friend and ally, Dr. Dakuku Adolphus
Peterside, as a composite of the class of well-bred and consummate politicians
from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria who has earned himself a pride of place
and found his niche in public administration as the most outstanding
Commissioner of Works in Rivers State.
A former member of the Federal
House of Representatives and a true gentleman, Eze said, Dr. Peterside was the
governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State, in
the 2015 general elections who later served meritoriously as Director-General (DG)
of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and emerged
first Nigerian to
head the Association of African
Maritime Administrators (AAMA), a strategic regional body set up to harness the
potentials of the African Maritime Industry, with a view to strengthening
cooperation at the regional, continental and international levels in
harmonizing policies and goals necessary for the growth of the African Maritime
Sector.
He is the author of the
bestseller, ‘Strategic Turnaround’, a book which discourses the
transformational change in an African maritime administration.
Dakuku, in awe and perplexity of
Eze’s wealth of knowledge in his field once exclaimed, "Always VINTAGE
EZE, like no other. I challenge anybody in the land today. No journalist has as
much information on anybody like Chief Eze C Eze. Chief Eze is without doubt a
repository of knowledge”. Such affirmative exclamation from a respected
academic and highly revered leader of thought like Dr. Peterside simply lends
credence to the widely held view that Chief Eze is a repertoire of contemporary
standard in literary mechanics and consequently, one needs no further
exposition to quickly align with the opinion of the reading public and leading
proponents of truth, who have described the ace Journalist as the numero uno in
contemporary journalism.
These and many more, the party
Chief said, espouse the common inclination and popular demand made upon him to
assist the nation with the responsibility of unearthing some hidden facts about
the life and politics of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, an enigma whose
model of leadership and public service is an archetype of its own and qualifies
for a study.
Emphasizing the need to preserve
the legacies of the most outstanding Minister in the administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari, whose tenure as Governor is known to be the golden
age of governance in Rivers State, Chief Eze said Rivers people and in fact,
Nigerians picked interest in the sterling performances of Amaechi, first as
Governor and now Minister, capitalizing that the he qualifies for a study.
The Foreword and thought of Dr.
Dakuku Peterside about the Book on Amaechi:
According to this accomplished
Author, Recording events and important milestones for posterity started before
formal writing in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), where the use of cuneiform
was prominent between 3,400 and 3,300 BC, and shortly afterwards in Egypt at
around 3,200 BC. The realisation that human memory was short and passage of
information from one generation to another unreliable were the primary reasons
for this art form.
Record keeping later evolved to
literature. And the earliest literary authors recorded events for people to
understand why some actions and inactions took place, the evolution of events,
and the socio-cultural and political functions of political gladiators and
groups. This development led to our ability to reminisce constructively and
deconstruct vital lessons from historical events whilst preserving important
information.
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, by this
seminal work, has followed this tradition. He has fused the past with the
present to create a compelling written documentary about one great political
figure of contemporary Nigeria.
For the first time, somebody has
looked at classified and unclassified documents, speeches, biographies,
newspaper commentaries, and as a participant-observer to document the
remarkable life and leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
More importantly, these events
have been put in perspective by someone who was and still is an active
participant in the events that defined the politics of Nigeria in the first two
decades of the 21st century. This book is a rare collection of essential facts,
hitherto not available to most persons who are interested in knowing the truth
about the political developments around Amaechi.
Vintage Eze, through this book,
provides a wealth of knowledge and insights about how the master political
leader in CR Amaechi was able to navigate political landmines and rose to the
pinnacle of leadership. Chief Eze's account provides stories that have not been
told before in this way and at the same time brings clues that make the total
picture clear.
This book essentially is a new
perspective and a compelling first-hand authentic story that only a master
storyteller can share.
Chief Eze, through this work,
takes the reader through the most significant highlights of the Rotimi Amaechi
personae in public life. This account is outside the imagination of those who
thought they had information on the Amaechi years.
Chief Eze brings a fresh dimension
that clarifies and takes the reader to the inner recesses of how Rt. Hon
Amaechi accomplished excellent results despite artificial roadblocks and other
challenges.
By reading this book, I am sure
you will understand how others view Rt. Hon. Amaechi and what makes him loved,
respected, appreciated but also dreaded. Most importantly, it will be for you
as it is for me the beginning of a deeper exploration of the quintessential
Amaechi.
Few persons are more qualified to
document Amaechi's impactful and definitive leadership than Chief Eze. He is a
prolific commentator on national and international issues, an accomplished
journalist, an excellent reporter of events, steeped in background facts not
available to any other storyteller, opinion moulder and people's advocate.
Eze’s account goes way back to
events that shaped Amaechi leading to his (Amaechi) journey of transformational
leadership before becoming a political colossus and a national leader of
stature. In his days as Governor of Rivers State, as Director-General of
President Buhari's Campaign Organization and as Minister of Transportation,
Chief Eze was there and witnessed his numerous battles. He has access to all
the political gladiators that no other person within the political ranks has.
Most importantly, he acts out of
conviction and deep understanding of the complex web of events that shaped critical
historical events in the life of Amaechi.
Finally, I thank Eze for giving me
the privilege to read his book before others and an even more incredible honour
to write the foreword.
Dakuku Peterside PhD
Author of Strategic Turnaround,
Story of a government agency, turnaround expert, leadership coach and columnist
To the Glory of God against all
odds the book is ready to be launched in a few weeks time depending on the
approval of the man in whose excellence the book is centered around.
As the world awaits the public
presentation of this book, I pray and urge us to come to reality and understand
who Amaechi truly is.
God bless us all.
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