The former President of the Pan African Parliament Bethel Amadi set for burial on April 5

BY OLU IBEKWE

The death has been announced of Rt. Hon. Bethel Nnanemeka Amadi of Amii Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. According to a release signed by Sir Wereuche Morgan Amadi on behalf of the family, Hon. Amadi died at the University College Hospital, London on Sunday February 10, 2019. Burial will take place on Friday April 5, 2019 at his country home after a funeral service at St. Stephens Anglican Church, Amii, Akabo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria.

Rt. Hon Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi was born on the 25^th of April, 1964 at Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. He attended the Federal Government College Warri and later proceeded to the University of Jos where he gained a Bachelors Degree in Law with Honors. He attended the Nigeria Law School Lagos and was called to Bar in October 1986. Immediately after National Youth Service in Benue State, Hon Amadi was engaged by Christaben Group Ltd – a business entity that specializes in Oil and Gas services as the company secretary where he eventually rose to the position of Executive Director of Operations. In 1991, he was appointed the Acting General Manager of Hunting Oil Field Services Nigeria Limited, a joint venture between Hunting Plc of the United Kingdom and the Christaben Group Limited. In 1993 he established and became the Senior Partner of the Law Firm, Hallmans Legal Practitioners (formally Amadi, Eyo, Olagoke and Chiagozie). He later established Akabb Technologies Limited, an Environmental and Laboratories company, PetroField Limited, a Petroleum Engineering and Oil Services Company and AlfaField Limited, a  Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company. In 2000 he became Managing Consultant and Member Board of Directors of Bendel Insurance Plc., where he provided turnaround management.

The burning desire to bring about change in his community and country, prompted Hon Amadi to go into politics. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2003 to represent Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of Imo State. He was re-elected in 2007 and re-elected again in 2011 to an unprecedented third term. During his first term, he was elected by his colleagues as the Caucus leader for Imo State, and later appointed Secretary of the South East House Caucus from 2003 – 2007. He also became Chairperson of Sub-Committee on NAPIMS (Upstream) of the Petroleum Resources Committees. During his second term in 2007, he became Majority Chief Whip and later served as Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation from 2008 - 2011. He served as the Chairman, House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development from 2011 to 2015. In his 12 years as a member of the Nigeria’s House of Representatives, he served in many important Committees such as the House Committee on Finance, Foreign Affairs, Petroleum Resources Upstream, Internal Affairs and Water Resources amongst others. He is also the Chairman of two foundations - Legislative Initiative of Education (LIFE) and Green Economics Nigeria with focus on issues concerning Education and the Environment. He started the Bethel Amadi Foundation in 2003 with focus on Education, Skills Acquisition and Youth and Women Empowerment. It has over the past 12 years provided scholarship, bursaries and small scale business start-up support affecting the lives of thousands of Nigerians especially youths and women. A dedicated and committed member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Amadi has served in the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) from 2005 – 2007 and in the National Caucus in 2007. He has also served in several ad-hoc committees of the party at both the state and national level.

Hon Amadi seved as the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association – Africa Region from 2009 - 2012. He served as First Vice President of the Pan African Parliament (one of the ten organs of the African Union) where he was placed in charge of Legislative Business, championed continental integration, led the Parliament to several high profile functions and was deeply involved in the transformation process of the Pan African Parliament into a full legislative body. In May 2012, H.E. Hon Bethel Amadi was elected President of the Pan-African Parliament. As President of this continental body, Hon Amadi’s impeccable leadership brought about unprecedented growth in the parliament’s global recognition and prominence. He was instrumental in repositioning PAP as a viable platform for articulating the wishes and aspirations of the people of Africa. As a result of his leadership, the Pan African Parliament established significant framework for deepening democratic governance, sustaining Africa’s democratic ideals and promoting peace and security, election observation and fact finding missions to conflict areas. When it was established in 2004, PAP was only allowed to exercise advisory and consultative powers. This institutional limitation to the capacity of PAP to be responsive to the goals of governance and democracy building in Africa was the first challenge Hon. Bethel Amadi took up when he assumed office as President and became determined to see that the Protocol is amended. Under his leadership, the Assembly of the African Union in a summit held on the 27^th of June, 2014 at Malabo in Equatorial Guinea approved the amendment to the Pan African Parliament Protocol and therein granted it legislative authority in clearly defined subjects/areas. That Revised Protocol is undergoing ratification by member states of the African Union.

Under his leadership, the PAP collaboratively engaged with the African Union Commission (AUC) in election observation missions. The observation mission process created a good foundation for sustaining Africa's democratic ideals by formulating positions and making recommendations towards strengthening of democracy and stable governance on the continent.

Hon Amadi also championed the ratification and domestication of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance as part of his passion to consolidate democratic institutions and culture, good governance, transparency and the rule of law in Africa. This landmark legal instrument embodies the shared philosophy of entrenching a political culture that is premised on constitutional democracy on the African continent and promotes a system of governance that is representative, reflective of regular, transparent, free and fair elections.

Having personally invested heavily in empowering women and youth, aiding them to alleviate poverty, Amadi steered the PAP towards addressing issues of unemployment, migration, education, skill acquisition, political participation, making it instrumental in the promotion of gender equality and affirmative action for women across Africa, by instituting an annual Women Conference with focus on maternal health, child mortality and other gender issues.

Hon. Amadi as President of the PAP, also made progress in the area of health. On behalf of the PAP, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) calling for a strategic partnership to advance sustainable responses to HIV as well as address key human rights challenges in Africa.

It is also noteworthy that Hon. Amadi led the PAP to a partnership with NEPAD to develop a model law on the Drugs and Pharmaceutical sector in Africa, and the law should protect public health through the establishment of an effective and efficient system of medical products regulation and control at all levels to ensure that medical products circulating within member States meet the required standards of safety, efficacy and quality.

When he was sworn into office as PAP President, Hon. Bethel Amadi promised to boost the integration process in Africa. Today, the PAP is at the forefront of this process as manifested in several advocacy missions and regional workshops promoting the African Continental Free Trade Agreement which is intended to boost intra-Africa trade.

Hon. Amadi remained concerned about the African Youth situation where many are marginalized from mainstream society through inequalities in income, wealth and power, resulting in unemployment and underemployment, poor quality education, restricted health services and exposure to violence including gender violence, armed conflicts and various forms of discrimination, as they remain disconnected from the political process. Amadi believed that Africa's continuous development rests with its youth and therefore required their active and enlightened participation. As President of the PAP, he set up the first ever Pan-African Parliament Caucus on Youth, a platform to consolidate youth ideas and position on the strategic framework and vision for Africa. He spearheaded the establishment of the Pan African Youth Council so that the youth can take ownership of their issues as key partners in governance and development processes.

The Pan-African Parliament, under his leadership, was able to accomplish so much within the confines of a limited mandate as he excelled in creating consensus among the divergent groups and is recognized among colleagues for his keen ability to energize and inspire individuals to work towards achieving common goals.

In recognition and appreciation his remarkable contribution towards the institutional development of the Pan African Parliament and for his exemplary leadership, the Parliament at the end of his tenure as President in May 2015, designated him as an Ambassador of the Parliament charged with the promotion and ratification of the African Union Legal Instruments.

Following the resolution of the Pan African Parliament to establish the Pan African Parliamentary Network which is a network of former Pan African Parliament members, the objective of which is to sensitize national parliaments and the African population on the objectives and actions of the Pan African Parliament and assist the Parliament in election observation, Hon. Amadi was appointed the pioneer Chairperson of the Network

Married to Barr Mabel Amadi and blessed with three children and a grandchild, Hon Amadi was conferred with the honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2014 and is also a Knight of the Order of St. Christopher of the Anglican Communion.