His name is Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. He is a lawyer and a politician. He is the Supreme Court of Nigeria-made governor of Rivers State of Nigeria. He was a parliamentarian and speaker of the State House of Assembly during the former governor Peter Odili's administration; but later fell out of favor with the governor who then conspired with Olusegun Obasanjo to sabotage his candidacy for governor of Rivers State. However, he went to court for redress, and although he did not contest any election as governor, he was however installed as one by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. That is by way of little bio-politics of Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers State, Nigeria.
However the gist of this treatise is not the governor but what the governor did. He exposed himself to unfathomable risk by going on an open sea in a tiny boat, undeserving of a chief executive of an oil producing Rivers State, Nigeria.
However the gist of this treatise is not the governor but what the governor did. He exposed himself to unfathomable risk by going on an open sea in a tiny boat, undeserving of a chief executive of an oil producing Rivers State, Nigeria.
Why the dingy Mr Governor Rotimi Amaechi? A governor of an oil producing Niger Delta State of Nigeria, Rivers State deserves a lot better. It is unimaginable that the security apparatus of the governor would even allow the governor to expose himself to such an outrageous risk to bodily harm, by allowing him to take such a canoe-ride to whatever Bolo Community in Rivers State for a purported "Meet the People Tour".That the governor, pictured here below sitting fourth from left in a bowler-hat, in this cramped, over-loaded canoe (boat) should venture into an
open sea in such a contraption defies every sensible logic. There is a risk of boat capsizing as a result of possible turbulence with the governor drowning? There is a risk of the boat taking in water and sinking in the process? A better, more sea-worthy boat could have been more befitting of a governor of Rivers State! Better still and admitted that Rivers State is a riverine area, a helicopter would have been deployed to fly the governor across to his destination? Did his security outfit not think of the possibility of a turbulence or the intractable Niger Delta militants pervading the area? What if they had struck and the governor was abducted and taken hostage or forced to leap off the boat into the treacherous sea or even killed in a shoot-out, since Icheokudotcom could sight some uniformed security details also aboard the boat. The security concerns were just too much to have allowed this aberration of a governor of a state in this unprotected canoe! 
Does it mean that Rivers state, awash with petrol-dollars, cannot afford to buy a modern boat (see pictures), be it speed-boat, tour-boat, racing-boat, house-boat, patrol-boat etc for the use of the state's chief executive? This is a state where its past governor Peter Odili allegedly stole over two hundred (200) million dollars USD from the state's coffers. This becomes imperative since Rivers State, as the name connotes, has a lot of water areas that the governor has to visit from time to time. Assuming Rivers State cannot afford an outright ownership purchase of a befitting boat, does it also mean that Rivers State cannot afford to rent or lease a comfortable boat, with some added luxury, befitting of a state's chief executive? Also his protocol could have asked any of the oil-companies operating in the state to loan one of their numerous boats for this governor's visit. 
Icheokudotcom is taking up this matter not because we particularly give a damn about these election-riggers in Nigeria, no, we do this because of the embarrassment the governor's canoe-ride caused Nigerians in the eye of the world. How can a state governor be found in such a risky pedestrian contraption, knowing fully that he carries on his shoulder the responsibility of an entire state? What if? and so many other what ifs? Can you imagine what an incident, a possible accident, could have caused both Rivers State and Nigeria? Look at the number of people, possibly government officials, cramped into the tiny rickety dinghy and yet this is a state that gets a lion share of the oil-derived revenue as allocated in Nigeria? We hear of boats capsizing all over the world and this particular contraption carrying the governor of Rivers State of Nigeria, does not necessarily appear to be very sea-worthy indeed! Look at the little clearance of the top of the canoe from the water - a height of less than two feet between the stern and the sea! Look at the sardine-like manner in which the people were stacked on that boat! What if an emergency developed, where would the rescue team have started from? It would have been very difficult to even save the governor, who was not particularly identifiable with any special color-coded outfit or sequestered enough for immediate rescue. Admitted that most people from Rivers State of Nigeria are good swimmers, but why use this canoe-ride as a trial-run for Nigeria's Olympian Micheal Phelps?
Whatever be the matter, Icheokudotcom discourages this type of over-exposure to unnecessary and avoidable risk to a state's chief executive's life. More-so when it could have been entirely avoided at little or less cost to Rivers State or any other state for that matter. Rivers State, please buy a "comfortable near-luxury" boat for your state or rent one or lease one for the use of your officials including the governor. A boat that would enable the governor to attend to your state's riverine matters without undue risk to any water-related accident including drowning. Since the terrain of your state is water-logged and while touring some parts of your state will require the governor to ferry across bodies of water, you need an official state boat as a matter of immediacy . A boat with cabin that could protect the governor from the elements should mother-nature call - torrential rainfall, wind, heat-wave, tidal wave etc? The match-box in the offending picture has nothing sheltering the governor from the sky hence he was a sitting duck for whatever the heavens may have decided to throw at him.A mid-sized "comfortable near-luxury" boat, not necessarily a yacht, is what the doctor ordered - just a speed boat with some cabin which could be sourced for about one hundred (100) thousand dollars or slightly more. It will be a wise investment for the state and it automatically qualifies as a state asset. A state like Rivers State can easily afford this 'toy' instead of having her highest ranking official as well as some of her other state officials exposed to several maritime risks as the above picture portrayed. What Peter Odili alone, allegedly looted from your state would buy such a boat several times over, so do it because you can and also because it is the right thing to do. Rotimi Amechi, are you listening? Rivers House of Assembly are you listening? Rivers State people are you listening? Just do it for the image of Rivers State! Do it for the image of Nigeria! DO IT NOW, buy a befitting boat for your governor's use!
