Sunday Wale Adeniran Replies Rotimi Amaechi

Sunday Wale Adeniran Replies Rotimi Amaechi 

Mr Rotimi Amaechi, thank for using your birthday celebration where angry politicians gathered yesterday to confirm that you did not vote for Tinubu in 2023.

That is to validate our submission that you actually worked for the opposition because you did not get to win the APC ticket. That fact was disputed by some of your followers. They asked how did we know but now, they have heard from you.

Thank you and happy birthday (belatedly).

One of your special angry guests, El-Rufai said in one of his countless interviews when he was still enjoying the benefits of public office and after leaving office that Nigerian politicians work against their party the moment they lose out in power game within that party and your statement has confirmed that even though he is also guilty of what he accused people like you of, you worked against your party because you did not win at Eagle Square that night.

That's not our destination this morning, Mr Amaechi, a man who was Speaker in Rivers state between 1999 and 2007; Governor between 2007 and 2015 and Minister between 2015 and 2023 yet ungrateful to God. A man who must be president before he appreciates God's goodness over his life after living large on public money for 24 straight years. A man who almost disrupt the APC presidential primary because he saw that he was losing to Akanbi, God's choice.

Now, this is where we're going. 

Yesterday, at the gathering of the angry which you hosted, the gathering of those who conspired to remove Oshiomole from the office of APC national chairman to stop Tinubu, you agreed that Tinubu's policies are yielding positive results but the benefits are going to private pockets.

That is not true, CRA 

Let us go with facts and figures:

As of January 2025, NELFUND had disbursed N116.184 billion across 176,252 beneficiaries in various institutions. Additionally, President Tinubu has also disclosed a disbursement of N104 billion to 600,000 students. This initiative aims to strengthen the education sector and ensure that no Nigerian child is unable to attend a higher institution due to financial constraints. 

Dear Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, you will agree with me that this sum did not go to private pocket.

As at May 29, 2023, the government Mr Amaechi served as one of the top cabinet members left a backlog of $7bn forex backlog unpaid. Tinubu's government has paid it which has restored foreign investors confidence in our economy. He did that before his government clocked a year in office.

That did not go to private pocket.

Nigeria has also paid off $3.4 billion borrowed from the International Monetary Fund during the Covid-19 pandemic during the administration where Amaechi served from beginning till the last day when he was reluctant to resign as minister after the former president had issued an order that any cabinet member who was interested in challenging Akanbi should resign.

CRA, did that go to private pocket too?

Ways and means borrowing refers to the practice of the Federal Government borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to cover budget shortfalls or temporary funding needs. That government where Amaechi served for two terms as one of the poster boys took a loan of N30trn ways and means debt from the CBN which Tinubu government has cleared.

That also did not go to private pocket.

After paying in full the &3.4bn IMF loan the present administration inherited, Nigeria has also paid about $2bn loan owed China, India and others. In addition, it has cleared a $1.5 billion eurobond.

I have racked my brain, I did not see how this one too went to private pocket.

Thirty-five of the thirty -six state governments have paid a large percentage of their debts with Jigawa paying over 90% as the leading state. State governments also have their earnings more than doubled and therefore have enough fund to build infrastructures and meet all financial obligations.

Conclusion: It costs Amaechi nothing besides integrity and plain sincerity to fully, not partially as he did, accept that on economy, Tinubu's policies are working at macro level and it will trickle down to micro level with time if he continues on that trajectory and certainly Tinubu does not look like one who would jettison this working economic formula.

You do not have to love or hate the president to acknowledge this fact. Your loving or hating him can not alter this fact.

Nigeria has started breathing, Nigerians too will start breathing in a while. There are no two ways to it.

Amaechi should understand and I think he understands that running the affairs of a nation that was dancing on the precipe of a total economic collapse and bringing her back to economic stability in such a short time is not the same as running round a stadium in show of physical strength and agility, it is mental strength and ability that the task requires as exemplified by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his team.

©SWA