The Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council has said former Transportation Minister Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi never protested against a presidential award conferred on Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for his administration’s infrastructure development of the state.
The council described the report about Amaechi’s alleged protest against the award as an attempt at deliberately disparaging him and President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement by the campaign council’s spokesman Sogbeye C. Eli said: “Thus, it is deliberate mischief for political mercenaries to churn out a script suggesting that the decision of the President to honour his successor with a ‘Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery’ at the forthcoming Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Award is not sitting well with him.
“Truth is Amaechi was an Honourable Minister in the government of the Federation when President Buhari approved over N75 billion as a refund of expenditures the Rivers State government under him incurred in the reconstruction and maintenance of Federal roads in Rivers State…”
at no time since he resigned to contest the 2023 presidential nomination of his party was he denied access to President Buhari.
According to the statement, Amaechi, who has spent quality time in his political career between the Legislative and Executive arms of government at the state and Federal levels, is fully aware of the prerogative powers of the President and Commander-in-Chief to honour any Nigerian or foreigner who, in the President’s opinion, is qualified for same.
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“Thus, it is deliberate mischief for political mercenaries to churn out a script suggesting that the decision of the President to honour his successor with a ‘Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery’ at the forthcoming Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Award is not sitting well with him.
“Truth is Amaechi was an Honourable Minister in the government of the Federation when President Buhari approved over N75 billion as a refund of expenditures the Rivers State government under him incurred in the reconstruction and maintenance of Federal roads in Rivers State.
“He worked for the refund, which has in turn helped the state government in further infrastructure development. That much the Honourable Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), made public at his commissioning of the Rebisi Flyover in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
“An Amaechi who worked for that refund could not be kicking against an Award to Wike by the President,” the statement said.
The Rivers State APC Campaign Council reiterated that Amaechi has kept a relatively low public profile since the presidential primary of his party ended.
“He has sought and received a presidential audience when appropriate since then. Amaechi committed no crime or misdemeanour as honourable minister and maintains a very robust personal relationship with the President and the first family.
“There is nothing wrong anywhere, therefore, to warrant the insinuation that he was denied access to the President and had to proceed to the National Chairman of the APC to protest Wike’s award,” the statement added.