On the 25th of March, the Minister of Transportation debunked an allegation labelled against him that he will run for Nigeria’s presidential seat telling his supporters to give him money rather than a presidential ticket but like a drama of irony, Rotimi Amaechi stood before his supporters and declared his interest to contest for the number one Nigerian seat 12 days away from a horrific train attacked under his ministry.
One asked on social media when the news of Rotimi Ameachi’s presidential bid was publicized that instead of Rotimi resigning from his ministerial appointment because of his inability to avert what had happened to the Abuja-Kaduna train attack he even had the gut to declare his interest to rule Nigeria. The poster asked what confidence Ameachi has to protect Nigerians’ lives and properties when he failed to protect his own domain within his responsibility?
Up to this time, 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 is declaring to rule Nigerian but in the developed world things are never like this because their leaders value their subjects with high esteemed.
On 7th Yul, 2021 Indian health minister resigned because of the continued surge effect of Covid 19 to allow a competent person to be appointed to proffer an efficient solution to the Covid 19 effect.
Also in 2021, Yoshihide Suga bowed out as a prime minister of Japan due to Covid 19 high casualties.
In May 2021 Iraq’s health minister resigned following an outcry over the deaths of about 130 people in a fire at a hospital in Baghdad.
In 2021 New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo stepped down amidst sexual accusations.
Egypt Tourism minister Hisham Zaazou forward resignation letter after Morsi administration appoints Islamist associated group that killed scores of tourists in 1997.
The central bank governor of Somalia unexpectedly resigned after seven weeks in the job, citing corruption concerns as the main reason for her resignation.
Many world leaders resigned for various reasons ranging from corruption, official misconduct and terrorism but it is hard to find such bravery in West Africa because of the money and power coming from such juicy positions.
Ameachi who openly said money is more important to him than a presidential seat at first but one can say a president can use his power to accumulate wealth but some other people can look at it in the angle of jokes but jokes have their times and their jurisdiction and what Ameachi said cannot be taken with a pinch of salt. When Ameachi debunked joining the presidential seat at first many will believe that he has no interest in the presidential seat though the governor of Kaduna state once said he would only run for the 2023 presidency or as Rotimi Amaechi’s vice if President Muhammadu Buhari insisted.
But for Amaechi to replied his supporters that he has no money to run for the Nigerian presidency but needs money to survive and at this time for him to publicly declared to run for the presidential seat means some people are behind the sponsorship of the contest and it will be good for Ameachi to mention them to clear the air because he has initially explained he has no money to contest for the seat.
But, what Ameachi has done as a minister to deem it fit and capable to be the next Nigerian president?
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 on board are yet to be identified.
In February 2022, some construction companies in Nigeria instituted a suit against the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Ameachi for the award of a contract without due process.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2021 was filed at the Abuja Division of the federal high court. The plaintiffs instituted the suit praying the court to declare that the minister and his agents were biased in their assessment of the bidding in favour of the CCECC a Chines company.
As the Minister of Transportation Ameachi explained the cause of the train attack that his request for the procurement of security equipment to avoid the possible attack was rejected. Those solace words didn’t hold water and cannot exonerate the Honourable Minister because like what the governor of Kaduna state said through his Commissioner of Security and Internal Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said the Federal Ministry of Transportation didn’t refused to operate the 6: 00 pm to 8: 00pm shuttle and the Minister did not heed to the Kaduna state government advice until the foreseen incident occurred.
Ameachi presidential declaration shouldn’t have come at this time of mourning and sober reflection and like what Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu did on quitting his birthday celebration Amaechi should continue to join other Nigerians and those who lost their loved ones and assist in kind and cash those whose relatives are with the kidnappers since the Abuja-Kaduna train attacked happened as not all the relatives of the abductees can raise N5 million to N100 million for their freedom.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim Goronyo is a political analyst from Kaduna and can be reached via auwalgoronyo@gmail.com
