Rotimi Amaechi: Minister Transportation

The Generation Next Collective (GNC), a coalition of groups of pragmatic youths and women development strategists, has said that the timing and festivity associated with the presidential declaration of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, weekend,  was horrendously callous, distasteful and questions his humanity and leadership value.

Amaechi publicly declared his intention to run for the office of the president, with a huge rally, which had in attendance,  many big wigs of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Port- Harcourt, Rivers state, last weekend.

Such political festivity coming on the heels of the hideous terrorist attack on a train in Kaduna, which claimed many lives, with many kidnapped during the attack, still in captivity, according to GNC, is a sad event that underscores the insensitivity and heartlessness  of the current government, populated by people like Amaechi, who appears to have little regard for the sensibility of the people.

The GNC made these assertions in a  statement by its co- conveners, Barrister Ruth Edehemon and Malam Rufai Abdulahi PhD, in Abuja, on Monday, April 11, 2022.

The coalition stressed that such act of insensitivity failed ethical and leadership tests as it goes against the current mood of the nation on account of the shocking tragedy that occurred in a sector under the watch of Amaechi, as a minister.

According to GNC, in a sane society, Amaechi should have resigned his appointment over the tragedy or be seen to be taking positive steps with relevant agencies, to avoid a repeat of such carnage, rather than advertising his political ambition in such an obscene manner.

The statement read: “It was not only shocking but disturbing to see Amaechi, a supposed supervisory Minister of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, that recently witnessed the tragic terrorist attack that threw the whole nation into mourning, gyrating in Port-Harcourt, in such a needless political carnival, as if the lives of those that died or those of others still in the dungeon of the evil enemies of the Nigerian state, do not matter.

“While we agree that it is within Amaechi’s constitutional rights to aspire to any public office, doing so while tears of the family members of the dead victims and the those still in captivity are still flooding, is a bitter mockery of the dead and the sorrow of their families.

” It is on record that some presidential aspirants suspended their political programmes because of the national tragedy, but Amaechi, who is yet to resign as a serving Minister thought it politically expedient to host a distasteful, disgraceful and senseless show of political exhibitionism, which we consider as an act akin to urinating on the corpses of the unfortunate victims.

“We also note with dismay, that Amaechi’s most visible response to the tragedy so far, was the wailing that a multi billion naira contract he initiated for a purported security surveillance meant for his alleged preferred company with questionable capacity and track record, was not approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“To us in GNC and others who believe that leadership should have a human face, Amaechi’s unforced political miscalculation, shows that he doesn’t believe that political leadership should essentially be anchored on the democratic principles that prioritize the interest, wellbeing and happiness of the people. By this singular careless action, Amaechi has failed the test of sound judgement, which is the bedrock of good leadership.  He failed the test of propriety and sensibility. He also comes short in values that uphold democratic accountability and leadership. And the court of public opinion is already in session.

“We ask Amaechi to do a honest self appraisal of his public actions, inactions and utterances in public office, and know whether he truly has the attributes of the top office he seeks with such unveiled obscenity.”