Gov Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Is 49 Years Today (Profile)

Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State turns 49 today.

His Profile

Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi (born 27 May 1965) is the 15th and current Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria, since 2007. He was re-elected for a second term on 26 April 2011. Amaechi is a member of the People's People's Democratic Party but defected to the All Progressives Congress on 27 November 2013.

Early life and education

Rotimi 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 Association 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

Rotimi 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 and also a member of the Board of West Africa Glass industry as well as Risonpalm Nigeria Limited.

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 back 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 PDP's primaries for Rivers State Gubernatorial race in 2007.His name was substituted and he took the case to highest court in the land, 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. In addition, he has an ongoing refinery project in Ghana.

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. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi holds the National honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), is a Christan Catholic and a knight of St Johns.