Ministerial Screening: I was never indicted on Wike"s probe report the report - Amaechi

By Ehi Ekhator, United Kingdom

A former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi who was screened by the senate today has disclosed that he was never indicted by the report from a panel set up by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

He also said that contrary to the report on the White Paper, the report, which he confirmed was with him at the time of talking, did not in anyways accuse him of fraud.

“I have come here with a copy of the so called panel report; there is no where the panel report indicted me. I came with the report itself not the white paper and there is no where it indicted me and I will be ready to tender this report before the senate”.

Amaechi also spoke on his time as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governor Forum (NGF), his reason for supporting the All Progressives Congress.

Amaechi who agreed that there is Change in Buhari Administration, said “There is change in the air, I believe there is change in the air and that was what led me to joining APC. As good as the former President might have been, I don’t think he was suitable for the growth and development of Nigeria”

Rotimi Amaechi

On his time as Chairman of the NGF, Amaechi said “The governor’s forum acted as a check to the executive recklessness. We checked the excess including the expenditure of the oil subsidy. There is a case in court up till now stopping the federal government from drawing money from the federation account to fund oil subsidy. Because we believe we if stopped the federal government from drawing money from state and local government money, federal government may not be able to bear the cost and will therefore remove subsidy because of the level of corruption. Unfortunately the case is yet to be held.

“I think the radical posture of the governor forum led to the former president asking me that I have turned the governor’s forum into a union; saying is now a trade union. And all we were doing is defend the right of the people of Nigeria and ensure that the money accruable to the country was judiciously utilized. I think the former President didn’t like it. When my tenure expired, I was requested not to run for a second term and I felt that as a Nigerian, I had the responsibility to exercise my right as a governor, so I put myself forward for the election. If you saw the forces against me, you would have thought I would lose.

Amaechi said that he came with the report so that the senate can read and compare it with the report of the white paper by the government.

When asked to advice the young politicians, Amaechi said:  “However because there are challenges, people in Nigeria politics believe that there is need for compromise and able to manage yourself around. I would do that but where it clashes with my principle, I find it a bit difficult to do what people expect me to do. So if you ask me to advice upcoming politicians, I would find it difficult because most politicians would like to survive.

While speaking on his challenges as a politician, Amaechi said he was born to defend himself, he cited his days as a student union government and how he ran with his family to Ghana where he occupied a single room.

It is quite difficult in my political carrier. The reason why it is difficult is that I was born to fight for my right. I was once a student union leader, believe me, if there is one man who doesn’t like corruption, I don’t like corruption.

“I was chased out of the country to Ghana, my family was chased out, and we were living in one room with my children just because I stood for my right but God and the Supreme Court found it worthy to declare me as the governor of rivers state and I became the governor.

Speaking on whether it was good to send ministers without portfolio to the senate, Amaechi said “if the legislature wants ministers to be lawmakers with portfolio let them make the same amendment in the constitution. If it is not there in the constitution, the President can only apply his power as allowed to him by the constitution. I will be glad if I see a list with portfolio that way everybody knows where he is going.

When asked on his stands on Niger Delta cry for 13 percent derivaativs, Amaechi who had earlier supported the idea made a u-turn and said “If you followed me after we visited Germany, you will know that my view changed slightly. In my former view, I believe that the resources are in the Niger Delta and that fair share is necessary, you shouldn’t deprive them of that; that is why they are militant. I believe if you don’t address social justice, the country will not be the same. When we moved to Germany and I saw how they raise their fund, I said therefore, our dependence on the natural resources was unnecessary. I believe we should draw a poverty line. Any state that does not have, let say for instance, no state will collect anything less than N5bn from the national revenue. If any state goes below N5bn, all of us should contribution and make sure the state gets up to N5bn.

Ministerial Screening: I was never indicted on Wike"s probe report the report - Amaechi