Former Minister of Transport and Director-General of the President Muhammadu Buhari elections campaign organization, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, declined to comment on what he would do to ensure peace reigns in River State, where he comes from.
He also declined to comment whether, if reappointed as minister of Transport, he would work on the Eastern Rail corridor.
The question arose out of convictions by many that the incessant security challenges being reported in the oil-rich state could be traced to conflicts of rivalry with his political opponents.
Though Amaechi, as one time speaker of the River State House of Assembly, enjoyed the policy of take-a-bow and go established for ministerial nominees coming before the senate for the ongoing screening, senate president, Ahmed Lawan had offered him an opportunity to response to comments by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Abaribe, had appealed to Amaechi to use his office as Minister to bring about peace in Rivers state.” Whatever you can do as minister of the federal government to bring peace in River state you should do”, Abaribe said.
While reminding him that he was going to be a minister of the federal republic, Abaribe also drew Amaechi’s attention to his promise to do the Eastern Rail Corridor, as he was doing to the Western and Northern Corridors.
He told Ameachi that the Eastern rail ( if done) would be done inside Nigeria ( not outside of it) noting that it should be his priority to carry out projects that would be for the benefit of Nigerians before going outside of it. “Charity”, Abaribe told Amaechi, “should begin at home”.
A senator for the Northwest had also remind Amaechi to extend the North tracks to Zamfara, Sokoto and Keffi in the 2020 budget since the 2019 allocation did not provide for it.
When asked to comment on the Abaribe’s comment, Amaechi told the Senate president that he would rather not. He took a bow and left the chambers.
Before took a bow and left, some senators had argued that Amaechi did not qualify under the House rules to be exempted from being questioned since he was not a former senator neither was he a member of the House of Representatives.
Lawan, however stood down the query, saying that though Amaechi did not fall within the house rules the senate had had an understanding, before the ongoing screening commenced, that the privilege would be extended to former states lawmakers.
The rule was not agreed upon, with Amaechi in mind, Lawan argued.
One of the high points of today’s screening was the outstanding performance of Dr Emeka Nwajiuba, from Imo State, whose introductory remarks so impressed the senators that they had no need to question him. He was immediately asked to take a bow and go.
