Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of failing to adequately address the needs of the state while serving in the federal cabinet.
Wike made the allegation on Saturday at a civic reception organised in his honour at Omagwa, in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Amaechi served as Minister of Transportation between 2015 and 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. He later resigned from the cabinet to contest the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket in 2022 but lost the primary election to President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at the event, Wike questioned Amaechi’s record as transportation minister, particularly his alleged failure to attract projects and initiatives to Rivers State during his years in office.
“Now that he wants to run for vice-president (Amaechi), we must ask: what happened during all the years he was minister of transportation?” Wike asked.
“Did he relate with us? Did he think about our problems? Did he bring anything here?
“Rather, you sent a university to Daura because you thought that would make you president. Did it make you president?”
Wike was referring to the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, in Katsina State, which he alleged was facilitated by Amaechi because of his presidential ambition.
The FCT minister also revisited past political arguments surrounding the meaning of brotherhood, saying Amaechi had previously used the concept to assess the relationship between Rivers people and political leaders.
According to Wike, Amaechi had argued during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan that the former president could not be regarded as a brother to Rivers people because he did not sufficiently identify with their challenges.
Wike said Amaechi had instead described Buhari as a brother because, according to him, the former president connected with the people and their concerns.
Wike argued that, based on that same standard, Tinubu should now be regarded as a brother to Rivers people because of what he described as the president’s support for the state.
“He (Amaechi) said a brother is somebody who identifies with you in times of trouble, relates with you, and thinks about your welfare and survival,” Wike said.
“Brotherhood, according to him, is not about blood relationship but about survival.
“When Jonathan was president, our brother (Amaechi) said Jonathan never cared for us and therefore could not be our brother.
“He told us that Muhammadu Buhari was our brother because Buhari would identify with us and relate with us.
“Tinubu has identified with us. He has related with us. He has understood our problems and helped solve them. Therefore, by the definition of brotherhood that Amaechi himself gave us, Tinubu is our brother.”
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