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Tag: Amaechi

  • Reno Omokri releases audio clip of Amaechi condemning President Buhari

      Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has released an audio clip he claims is the voice of the Transport Minister and Director-General of President Muhammadu Buhari campaign, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, condemning Buhari.

      According to Omokri, the audio clip which is still making the rounds on social media, is only one of many secret recordings of Amaechi allegedly criticizing his principal.

      Omokri also challenged the Buhari campaign DG to deny the clip or deny that he was not referring to Buhari.

      He said if Amaechi tries saying he was referring to the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and not President Buhari, then that he would release other clips to nail him squarely.

      His words, “BOMBSHELL: LISTEN and SHARE to the DG of the Muhammadu Buharicampaign Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, destroy Buhari. “The President does not listen to anybody. Does he even read”-Rotimi Amaechi. We have more of the secretly recorded audios of Amaechi saying terrible things about Buhari’s govt. I hear Amaechi wants to lie that he was referring to GEJ. ” Reno.

  • Complete Lagos-Ibadan rail project in two weeks, Amaechi tells contractor

    The Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday gave the contractor handling the Lagos-Ibadan rail project two weeks to complete the at Iju-Agbado axis.

    He gave the ultimatum during the monthly inspection of the project. The minister noted that work was slow because of the scarcity of the equipment needed.

    Amaechi said 30-passenger coaches and about 300 wagons would be used on the axis upon completion.

    He said: “The problem the contractor has now is the civil work between Agbado and Iju, which is critical to me because I don’t think passengers should go and board train from Agbado.

    “I believe that it is important that the closer we are to Lagos, the better for the rail. That is what we are battling now because I want them to use the same speed noticed in some sections in the construction of Agbado area to Iju.

    “They want us to flag off from Agbado, but I don’t want because I feel Iju will be more appropriate to flag off and they said they will be ready with that axis in two weeks. But I think we should get to Iju because it will not be wise to drive from Lagos to Agbado to board train.”

    On the unavailability of equipment, he said: “They argued that lack of equipment was responsible for the pace of work because the equipment are not on the shelf that can just be picked and paid for. What is causing the delay on the Agbado to Iju axis is equipment related.

    “The equipment have to be brought from overseas. We will have to wait for the processing and then ship it down and if we wait for those equipment, we might be finishing the job when the equipment would arrive.”

    On the arrival of coaches, Amaechi said: “We are expecting 30-passenger coaches mixed with locomotive wagons, 300 wagons and two sets of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) made up of 10 coaches each and two motorcars, which will arrive in Lagos before the construction work is completed.”

    He said the major challenge at the Lagos seaport was not clearing but inefficient rail line.

    The minister dismissed the claim that his frequent visit to the construction site was due to external pressure

    He said: “The problem at the Lagos seaport is not clearing because goods are cleared in time. The problem is movement of those goods out of port.

    “I am not under pressure from anybody. Part of the solution to Lagos seaport is an efficient rail line. You can argue that the narrow gauge is there, but it is not efficient. The moment we fix this, those goods will be transferred to the rail and the logjam will disappear.

    “So the pressure is more economic than political or people-based. Once they finish Iju, I will push them to go to the seaport. Once that is done, there will be no more logjam and then businesses will grow, which will create more employment.”

    He said the Federal Government would continue test run on the Itakpe-Warri rail till May after which it would begin commercial activities.

  • ‘This is why you are hungry’, Amaechi tells Nigerians at Buhari’s campaign

    The Minister of Transportation and Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi on Friday said the “hunger” by Nigerians today was caused by the havoc wreaked on the nation’s economy by the previous administrations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “They said you are hungry,” Amaechi said on Friday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during the flag-off of the APC election campaign.

    “You are hungry because they stole the money. If the money was here, you wouldn’t have been hungry.”

    TNG reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, and some of the APC governors, was in Uyo to flag off the party’s campaign for the 2019 general elections.

    The president is seeking a second term in office.

    Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State said corruption is one of Nigeria’s major problem, and that Buhari was not giving up on the anti-corruption fight.

    “We got in and saw the challenges. We never knew they had stolen all the money. We thought they had a conscience to leave some money behind.

    “You know, the difference between us and the other party (PDP) is that they are not saying that they are not corrupt,” the minister said

    “They say we are corrupt, but APC is also corrupt. They agree that the president is not corrupt. What they are saying is those around the president are corrupt. But they agree that they are corrupt.

    “We are saying as APC that we are not corrupt and that we are fighting corruption. Whether you are APC or PDP, when you are corrupt we will fight you.”

    He cautioned Nigerians against voting for PDP in the 2019 elections.

    “If you vote for the other party, let me tell you what will happen. They are so hungry that if they come out, they will be too busy stealing money that by the time Nigerians realise it, we are back to recession.”

    Amaechi said President Buhari did not promise to make the value of naira equal to a dollar, nor promised to reduce the price of petrol.

    “Anybody who said we promised one naira will be to one dollar must be a magician. Anybody who said we promised we were going to bring down fuel price must also be a magician.

    “We are not voodoo economists,” he said.

    The minister added, “When we got in, we were mindful of the promises that we made. So, the president gave all us who were in the cabinet challenges to ensure that we rescue this country.

    “We commenced activities believing that Nigerians would know that change doesn’t come that easily. Even as ministers we feel the pain of change. We know that when you want to make any change you must realise that it will come with some pain.

    “We are here asking you to learn the fact that we need another chance to complete the assignment you have given to us. And we will complete it as soon as you give us that chance to come back.”

     

  • FG to connect 36 states, FCT through rail lines – Amaechi

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    Minister of Transportation Mr Rotimi Amaechi has said that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation is working towards connecting the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT though railway lines.
    He made the disclosure during the presentation of a Brief on the Formation Objectives, Achievements, Challenges and Way Forward for Railway Property Management Company Limited (a subsidiary of Nigeria Railway Corporation NRC) at an interface with the House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport on Tuesday at the National Assembly.
    The Minister said the ministry’s drive to connect major cities in Nigeria through functional railway lines is part of the federal government’s roadmap enunciated in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plans (ERGP) 2018-2020.
    He had told the lawmakers that work had commenced and is ongoing at Idu- Kaduna rail line for a standard gauge.He also said that by the end of January 2019 the work on Iju- Lagos rail line would have been completed.
    The Former Rivers State Governor also told the lawmakers that work had started in earnest at Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line and added that the Owerri-Port Harcourt is ongoing to connect the eastern flank.
    Other parts of the federation where he said work is ongoing smoothly connect the country with railways are: Damaturu-Maiduguri rail line, Makurdi-Enugu rail line, Jos-Bauchi and Gombe rail line and Itakpe-Ilorin rail line among others.
    Amaechi further said that plans are underway by the ministry to establish the Federal Universities of Transportation in Katsina and Rivers States.
    He also hinted of plans to establish a deep sea ports at Bonny in Rivers State and Warri in Delta State.
    At the hearing, one of the agencies under the ministry-the Railway Property Management Company Limited (a subsidiary of the Nigeria Railway Corporation NRC) further told the Committee that the NRC has the largest landed property in Nigeria.
    The Managing Director of the agency Alhaji Abubakar Labaran had told the Committee that the company which was registered in October 7, 1996 at Corporate Affairs Commission manages NRC properties nationwide.
    Chairman of the House Committee Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin and other lawmakers thereafter charged the Minister and his team to ensure all parts of the country benefits from the national railway inter-connectivity project.

  • House of Reps summons Amaechi over corruption allegations

    The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to appear before it over corruption allegations.

    Chairman of the Committee on Land Transport, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, disclosed this after plenary on Thursday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    He explained that the minister was also summoned to appear before the committee over breach of process.

    Jibrin revealed that the committee has received a lot of allegations from credible sources against the minister and wants to investigate the issues raised.

    According to him, the lawmakers after a meeting of the committee believe that Nigerians should know about so much of the things being done behind the scenes.

  • Obasanjo tells AIT to tender apology over meeting with Osinbajo, Amaechi

    …Says he owns no twitter account

    Ex- President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked the African Independent Television (AIT) to retract with apology, the airing of a photo on its social media segment, Kakaaki Social, where a purported tweeter account belonging to him, depicted a picture of an alleged meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, at his Ota farm in Ogun state.

    Obasanjo said the apology should also be extended to Osinbajo for the embarrassment the depiction of the picture might have caused him.

    The elder statesman who made this known in a statement through his Special Assistant (Media), Kehinde Akinyemi, on Thursday, expressed disappointment that AIT could disseminate information it sourced from fake Twitter Account without first verifying it.

    He disclosed that he does not have Twitter account anywhere and expressed concern over the continuous use of his name by suspected fraudsters on social media platforms.

    Obasanjo warned that whoever that is caught perpetrating the act, would be made to face prosecution immediately, even as he advised the media to always be professional in discharging their duty and refrain from creating unnecessary confusion and heating up the polity

    “It is a fact that severally, the former President has dissociated himself from owning any social media account. Therefore, it is highly disappointing that such sensitive Twitter post would be allowed to go on air without verification by the African Independent Television (AIT).

    “There was no meeting with the Vice President anywhere. I was at the Airport and was informed that he was around in the Lounge and out of courtesy; I felt I should go and greet him. We met, greeted and exchanged pleasantries and I left. That was all.

    “The station should have been very professional and not causing confusion and heating up the polity. That I am not operating any social media account should not be strange to a station like AIT, and for that embarrassment, the Vice President and I deserve an apology,” Obasanjo said.

     

  • 2019: How Amaechi humiliated me before my wife – Magnus Abe

    2019: How Amaechi humiliated me before my wife – Magnus Abe

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator representing Rivers South East constituency, Magnus Abe, has accused a former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi of humiliating him in presence of his family members.

    The senator said Amaechi who doubles as the Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation humiliated him by telling him not to contest in the presence of his wife.

    The Interview magazine reports that Abe said Amechi’s actions may hurt the party badly in the forthcoming elections.

    He also accused Amaechi of running a one-man show.

    Abe said, “My grievances with the transportation minister has nothing to do with him supporting me or not. I have told him clearly that he is free to support who he wants. My disagreement with him is that he said I should not run, and I said I would run.”

    The lawmaker added, “To come to my house, call me in front of my wife and tell me not to try contesting was the height of it. I said no, I would not accept, I would contest.”

     

  • 2019: Osinbajo, Amaechi visit Obasanjo [Photos]

    Photographs have emerged of a meeting Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Director General of the President Mohammadu Buhari Campaign Organization, Rotimi Amaechi held with former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

    According to reports making the rounds on the internet , the meeting between the duo and ex-President Obasanjo was held in Ota, Ogun State behind closed-door.

    The meeting reportedly held hours before the Book Launch of former President, Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

  • 2019: Amaechi using state funds to campaign for Buhari – PDP

    2019: Amaechi using state funds to campaign for Buhari – PDP

    …demands immediate resignation as minister

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday accused the Minister of Transportation and the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi of using state funds to run President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term campaign.

    The party also the president to demonstrate his much-talked about integrity by demanding the immediate resignation of the minister.

    The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that the minister, as the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation is using government fund to campaign for the President.

    The PDP made the call barely 24 hours before the commencement of campaigns ahead of the elections.

    It claimed that Amaechi’s action demonstrated the height of corruption.

    “The party says Amaechi, as Minister of Transportation and Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation is using government funds to campaign for Buhari.

    “The PDP notes that this action of Amaechi demonstrates the height of corruption both in Buhari administration and the person of his campaign DG,” the statement read.

    The party further wondered how Amaechi would compare Buhari to the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who it claimed had been generally accepted as the next President of Nigeria.

    It alleged that Amaechi had lost touch with Nigerians.

    The PDP advised Amaechi to prepare to return to Rivers State instead of trying to promote what it called a failed candidate.

  • 2019: Buhari will lose Kano, other northern states, Kwankwaso fires back at Amaechi

    Sequel to a statement credited to the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi that President Muhammadu Buhari will win Kano, Bauchi and Sokoto states despite the recent defections of some senators in those states, former governor of Kano, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso has insisted that President Buhari will lose those states, Kano in particular.

    Kwankwaso’s spokesperson, Binta Spikin reiterated that President Buhari’s loss in some key northern states was imminent

    “On those that defected at the House of Representatives and Senate, where do they come from? They come from areas that the President is comfortable. Do you honestly believe that the President will lose election in Sokoto? We are not God, but it’s one of his comfort zones,” the Punch quoted the minister as saying.

    “If you bring the President on a sick bed to Bauchi and Kano, he will win and he has never lost election in Bauchi. But that is a bit arrogant on our side; we should not underestimate them,” the minister who also doubles as Director General of Buhari’s campaign organisation said in an interview with The Punch.

    However, in her response, Spikin said Kwankwaso’s defection will not only affect the votes in Kano State but has brought down the APC.

    “I think his defection will greatly affect the votes in 2019. His defection will not only affect the chances of the APC in Kano, his defection has brought down APC.

    “If you look across Nigeria today, not Kano alone, there’s nowhere in Nigeria that you don’t have the presence of Kwankwasiyya (supporters of Mr Kwankwaso).

    “Kano is his home base and he is well grounded in Kano. Even without the government, he had a 60 percent of the voters, so what do you think will happen now that he has joined forces with people like Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau?” she said.

    She further said the government needs to know that there is a path that is blocked “even if you fight it.”

    “Even if the government puts whatever in place, there is no way President Buhari will win in Kano, there’s no way.”

    When asked if Kwankwaso stands a chance of winning the 2019 general election should he officially declare his ambition to run for presidency, she simply said, “He stands a very good chance to win Buhari. We are covered.”

    Recall that Kwankwaso was one of the 15 senators who defected from the APC on Tuesday.

    In his reaction, the governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, had said the mass defection will not affect the party’s chances politically.

    He also Mr Kwankwaso’s exit will not be felt in the state: “I want you to go and study the situation on ground in Kano, his (Kwankwaso) defection does not change the political mood in the state. Nobody cares to be disturbed by their action,” Mr Ganduje said.