A SALUTE TO TRUTH AND COURAGE - Hon. Dakuku Peterside I may not know all about Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, but I make bold to say that I have the privilege of knowing him at very close range for almost twenty four uninterrupted years, that is, more than half my life time so far. To that extent, I can lay claim to knowing him reasonably well. If, therefore, I am asked to summarize, in few words, the man I met, stuck with and adopted as my mentor and role model, I will simply describe him in these following words: God fearing, truthful, courageous and generous. It is trite to say that these same qualities have earned him both love and hatred from his admirers and adversaries, but respect by all. He is love personified. His frankness robs off on anything he sets his heart to do; an attribute that has been misunderstood by some people. This is, perhaps, his point of departure from the Nigerian political system in which he found himself deeply engaged. Aside from his wife, the delectable Dame Judith, I can lay claim to being one of the closest observers of Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, I partook in his travails, stood by him in his rise and I share in his accomplishments. He leaves no one in doubt that his whole life is woven around the fear of God. As a Christian, I cannot say exactly the point of his transformation from Saul to Paul. I met him deeply rooted in Christ and waxing stronger by the day in the faith. In retrospect, I can attribute all his victories in the battles of life to his unwavering faith in Christ. His abiding faith in the efficacy of prayers and worship is noteworthy. This faith in Christ is, without gainsaying, his greatest weapon against his adversaries and the basis of his confidence that the future is secured. Drawing strongly from the scriptures as stated in Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell”, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi fears no mortal man. His passion to share this God centered life and how God has helped him thus far is infectious. My mentor lives an honest life. This honesty or bluntness is an asset but, unarguably, a weakness in Nigeria. I recall that in 1996, I had an argument which is still fresh in my mind to date, with some of Rt. Hon. Amaechis younger associates; a few of whom, are now diametrically opposed to him, politically. The core of the argument was that since I knew Master, he has never told a lie, unless he is fed with wrong information and he shares it out without knowing. At the end of the informal debate all of us present agreed with the assertion as being true in its purest form. Those opposed to him say he speaks without tact and embellishment. This implies that he is too forthright for the society in which he finds himself. Both enemies and friends concede to him that he is brutally honest, unwavering in standing up for the truth and impatient with liars and deceit. In a society pervaded by darkness occasioned by dearth of values and virtue, Gov Amaechis candour and character stands him out as light in darkness. Severally and consistently I attribute his battles in the political space to society resisting light. Timi or Boy, as his late father, Pa Fidelis, fondly called him, is a study in courage and conviction. Every one who has associated with Rt. Hon. Amaechi will testify that his conscience and conviction guide all his actions. He detests injustice. These two attributes and the knowledge of God, as architect of mans destiny, constitute the foundation of his much talked about courage to dare. He taught me that with courage and conviction, based on the promises of God, you can conquer all that seems impossible. The audacity to speak truth to power is only a component of his larger dose of courage. Governor Amaechi is a symbol of love for his fellow man. The same love he lavishes on his wife and children he extends to others. His love for his fellow man has no ethnic, religious or social boundaries. This love for his fellow man has come to manifest in great compassion for those who are in distress and generosity to all. Though so many persons have abused his generous and trusting nature, without any iota of doubt, he is not ready to give up the love for neighbour that God engraved in his genes. This love for mankind compels him to serve all manner of persons, faithfully. To my mentor, you have inspired me and many others to continue leading and learning with an open and positive mind, to continue on the path of trusting others and being faithful in little assignments. You have schooled us in the art of leadership by the strength of your vision ,character and example .You taught me that hardwork does not kill but earns one respect. Daily, I strive to bring the same level of candour, hardwork, courage, depth of intellectual dimension, love for fellow mankind, and the fear of God you taught me to my daily pursuit. You have impacted so much on my generation that we are sure history will celebrate you someday. You may be ahead of your time in your vision, conviction and drive, but time will confirm that you gave your best to Rivers State and Nigeria. You have dedicated your life to helping me and several others accomplish our goals, sometimes at a great risk. I am confident that God will also help you achieve those things that are dear to you, including his blessing of good health,long life,grace of right living ,grace of daily provision and peace of mind; and most especially, the ultimate one which is to make heaven. Happy Birthday, Sir. Dakuku Peterside Ph.D National Assembly Abuja
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 15:17:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015