By Kolawole Ojebisi
A former Minister of Transportation, and two time Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Nigerian youths to protest against Politicians whom he accused of stealing public money and impoverishing Nigerians through tough economic policies.
Amaechi, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) and a former presidential aspirant who vied for the APC’s presidential ticket said he is angry with Nigerians for not protesting in the face of economic hardship in the country.
The immediate past transport minister expressed surprise over the failure of Nigerian youths to voice their outrage by trooping to the streets to protest against corruption, stealing and the challenging economic situation in country
The former Rivers State governor said this during an interview with ABN TV, Amaechi. He pointed out the rising cost of living which has led to inability of many citizens to afford basic necessities such as fuel are among some of the problems confronting the country.The former governor of Rivers said even he can no longer afford diesel.
He said: “I’m angry with the citizens. I have said it several times. You can see a group of people stealing your money, impoverishing you, you cannot buy fuel and anything.
“The people should be angry. There should be protests. Not even protests against anybody but against the politicians that ‘we won’t vote’.
“That is what people should be saying. The rate of hunger now… if people like us cannot afford diesel, you can imagine what is happening to those who do not have children like us.
“Somebody said what this government has achieved is that it has made Nigerians to be strong in the sense that Nigerians now trek.”
Amaechi has been a prominent politician in Nigeria since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999 after military intergrennum. He was the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. He held the record of the youngest politician to ever occupy the post before the emergence of Adebo Ogundoyin in Oyo State.
Amaechi became the governor of Rivers State after a protracted legal battle, which ended up at the Supreme Court with the ousting of Celestine Omeha as governor.
He was appointed as transport minister by the immediate past president Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
