BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

Governor Chibuke Amaechi’s second inauguration on May 29, 2011 was memorable for the healing it brought to the political quarrel between him and his one time mentor, benefactor and predecessor, Dr. Peter Odili.

Indeed many present at the thanksgiving service at the Corpus Christi Cathedral were shocked when the officiating priest, Most Rev Dr Camillus  Etukudoh announced the presence of Odili and his wife, Mrs. Mary Odili (JSC) in the congregation among many others present to felicitate with the Amaechi’s on his re election.

Odili was decked in his traditional Rivers attire and the wife in suit in the front pew. Governor Amaechi who was also  in a white Rivers traditional outfit first shook hands warmly with his former boss before going to change into a flowing Okrika chieftaincy attire after which he came back to address the congregation. The governor expressed gratitude to his creator for his re election.

He said he was elated to be re united with his former boss. According to him, it was one of his requests before his creator that the reconciliation should be made possible before the expiration of his tenure.  He recalled effort made by some catholic priests and those around him to make the reconciliation a dream come true. He later had a long embrace with his former boss.

Some in the congregation apparently may have wondered why the governor had to go and change into an Okrika chieftaincy outfit before coming to speak to the church. According to his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Blessing Wekina, the governor merely fulfilled a promise he made to the Okrikans when he celebrated his birthday in their midst on May 27, this year.  The Acting Chief Press Secretary said the governor had assured he would attend his swearing in ceremony/ inauguration in the attire they gave him during the birthday bash which symbolised the chieftaincy title they conferred on him.

From right : Gov. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Governor Peter Odili and his wife Mary...

Events later shifted from the church to Liberation stadium, venue of the inauguration ceremony.  Prominent senior citizens at the inauguration ceremony included Odili and his wife, former Governor Rufus Ada George, former NAFCON boss, Chief Ombo Isokarharie, Senators elect Magnus Abe, Wilson Ake among others.

Addressing the mammoth gathering after taking his oath of office the governor assured that his administration would consolidate on the gains it recorded in the first term. The governor who extended a hand of fellowship to all willing to contribute to the development of the state said he would not slow down on his development drive.

Promising to run a people centered government the governor said the second leg of his government would among other things focus on urban renewal, improve on power generation, quality of education and health care. He said the government would also ensure that the new Rivers state University of Science and Technology is completed before expiration of his tenure.

He said the government would further consolidate on its gains in the area of security and also broaden its empowerment programmes to address challenges of poverty.

While thanking the people for voting massively for him in the last governorship election the governor assured that his administration would strive to complete all projects started in his first term.

The sudden reunion of Governor Amaechi and his erstwhile political god father and mentor have continued to generate different reactions in several quarters.  It is believed that the development would reshape the second term of the Amaechi administration.

Odili literarily means so much to Amaechi with a relationship spanning into more than two decades.

That relationship, however, soured after the 2007 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP when extraneous political forces intervened to the point of severing them.