On March 25, 2022, the Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, debunked feelers that he will contest for the 2023 presidential election, telling his supporters to give him money rather than presidential ticket. But in a twist, Amaechi declared his interest to contest for the number one seat 12 days after a horrific train attack under his ministry.
Ameachi’s should have resigned from his ministerial appointment because of his inability to avert the Abuja-Kaduna train attack rather than have the guts to declare his interest to rule Nigeria. How can Ameachi protect Nigerians’ lives and properties when he could not protect his own domain within his responsibility?
Till date many passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna train bomb attack are still with their captors and many are still bearing the agony of losing their loved ones while Ameachi wants to rule Nigeria. This is a sharp contrst in the developed world where leaders value their subjects.
On Yuly 7, 2021, Indian health minister resigned because of the continued surge of Covid-19 to allow a competent person to be appointed to proffer solution to the pandemic. Also, in 2021 Yoshihide Suga bowed out as prime minister of Japan due to Covid 19 high casualties.
On May 2021, Iraq’s health minister resigned following outcry over the death of 130 people in a fire at a hospital in Baghdad. In 2021, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo stepped down amidst sexual accusation.
Egypt tourism minister Hisham Zaazou resigned after Morsi administration appointed Islamist associated group that killed scores of tourists in 1997. The central bank governor of Somalia unexpectedly resigned after seven weeks on the job, citing corruption concerns as the main reason for her resignation.
Many world leaders resigned for various reasons raging from corruption, misconduct and terrorism but it is hard to find such bravery in West Africa because of the money and power from such juicy positions.
Although Ameachi had said money was more important to him than the presidential seat, but a president can use his power to accumulate wealth, thus what Ameachi said cannot be taken with a pinch of salt. When Ameachi denied joining the presidential race many believed he had no interest for the presidential seat though the governor of Kaduna state once said he would only run for the 2023 presidency or as Amaechi’s vice if President Muhammadu Buhari insisted.
But for Amaechi to reply his supporters that he has no money to run for Nigerian presidency but needs money to survive and at then turn round to declarefor the presidential seat means some people are sponsoring him and it will be good for Ameachi to mention them to clear the air because he saiid he had no money to contest for the seat.
The Abuja-Kaduna train bomb attack has exposed the skeleton in the cupboard of Nigerian Railway Corporation as up to the time of this write up there is no authenticated figure of passengers on board despite hiring a firm to lock financial leakages of the corporation. In April 2021, the minister of transportation secured a private company to administer the issuance of tickets for a decade on N900 million payment and all the affairs of the transaction will be confidential. To understand that there is no accountability in the ticketing, the exact number of passengers onboard are yet to be identified.
Ameachi’s presidential declaration shouldn’t have come at this time of mourning and sober reflection and like what Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu did by canceling his birthday celebration Amaechi should join other Nigerians to assist in kind and cash those whose relatives are with the kidnappers.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim Goronyo,
Kaduna
[email protected]
