A former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi has named those who made him the governor of Rivers State in 2007.

Amaechi served as governor of Rivers State, from 2007 to 2015 and earlier, as speaker of the State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007.

On Arise News, Amaechi said his becoming Rivers State governor was by the grace of God, his predecessor, Dr. Peter Odili, the people of Rivers State and the judiciary.

“I had the opportunity and I utilised the opportunity. So when the opportunity came for me to become the Speaker of the Parliament, Dr. Odili and I spoke and he felt it was important that I became the Speaker, I utilised the opportunity and I became the Speaker.

“The problem is not when you get the opportunity, the problem is what you do with the opportunity.

“God knows I was one of the best Speakers in this country at that material time. I don’t know what is happening now, maybe there are better Speakers than I was.

“But that time, nobody will deny me the fact that I performed my duty as the Speaker and I was elected to become the Chairman of the Speakers Forum. Since I left as the Chairman of the Speakers’ Forum, I wonder if the Speakers’ forum is still in existence.

“By the grace of God and by the grace of Peter Odili, the people of Rivers State and the judiciary, I became Governor because at the end of the day, the judiciary pronounced me governor.”

Many would see this as a reaction to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, who through Lere Olayinka, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, on Tuesday faulted former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati for saying the Minister is very rude to Amaechi.

Abati had claimed that Wike was very rude, stressing that the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi was his boss in politics.

The veteran journalist said, “Wike is very rude and disrespectful because Amaechi is his boss in politics. When he was local government chairman during Amaechi’s second term, it was Amaechi who helped him to become LGA Chairman and subsequently became Chief of Staff and recommended him to become Minister of State for Education in Abuja.”