The honourable Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been accused of disturbing the peace in Rivers state. The Rivers state government has issued a plea to President Muhammadu Buhari to call Amaechi (who was also the immediate past governor of the state) to order. In a statement by Dr. Austin Tam-George, the Commissioner for Information and Communication of the state, Amaechi was criticised for accusing the state governor, Nyesom Wike, of promoting cultism and violence in the state in order to rig the legislative poll.
Amaechi has been unnecessarily involved in Rivers State politics since his exit from office. News sources claim that the Minister has moved back to Rivers State in preparation for the National and State Assembly re-run polls that will take place on the 19th of March. In addition to moving back, Amaechi has been accused of sending threats to Governor Wike. He allegedly told Wike and his supporters to come out with guns to the polls, adding that there would be adequate security on the ground on the day of the elections.
This is not the first time Nyesom Wike is being accused by the former governor. Among the list of accusations were mismanagement of funds, lack of continuity, thuggery and brutality. However, with the recent drama around Amaechi’s involvement in Rivers state politics, one is tempted to ask: How exactly does all of this concern him and why is he meddling in state affairs now he’s no longer the governor?
On November 15, 2015, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was appointed as the nation’s Minister for Transportation and has now spent 121 days in the office. However, within this time, Amaechi is still yet to record any substantial achievements in his line of work apart from accusations of misdemeanor and a general lack of decorum. At an interview with Love FM, the Minister allegedly walked out of the studio after lashing out at the presenter. Amaechi reportedly said that he thinks “Wike should resign because he has failed Rivers state. The insecurity in the state is alarming.” To this, the presenter asked why President Buhari also should not resign since the nation’s security has taken a turn for the worse since he assumed office. Amaechi reportedly called the presenter “stupid” in response.
Nigerians have experienced too many road mishaps and, in the spirit of change, had hoped that Buhari’s Minister for Transportation will get down to the business of fixing damaged roads and constructing new ones. One would think that on becoming the Minister, Amaechi will focus on the monorail project (which was commissioned during his time as governor of Rivers state) touted to provide at least 200,000 jobs.
However, Nigerians may be disappointed again as Amaechi, who was appointed to be in charge of developing applicable transportation policies and construction of infrastructural projects, is busy ‘politicking’ and poking his nose in matters that hardly concern him.
