ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has responded to recent criticisms from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, stating that he would not be dragged into a war of words with “children.”
Amaechi made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on ARISE TV, reacting to Wike’s comments which accused him of politicising the economic hardship currently faced by Nigerians.
“God, Peter Odili, the judiciary and the Rivers State people made me governor. Ask him how he made me governor. I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children,” Amaechi said.
The spat between the two political heavyweights stems from comments Amaechi made at his 60th birthday celebration, where he criticised the worsening economic situation in Nigeria and the role of political leadership.
“Nigerian elites are not the problems of Nigeria. The problems of Nigeria are the followership. There are no capitalists in Nigeria; capitalists are those with capital to invest for production. Do we produce here? I look at Nigeria and ask what are we doing here? Do we really want to be a country? What is important is how do we change this country?
“We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I’m. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power,” Amaechi said.
In a media chat on Monday, Wike dismissed Amaechi’s statements as opportunistic and insincere, accusing his predecessor of only speaking out now because he is no longer in power.
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“He did not talk about hunger. He became a minister — super minister of transportation. He did not talk about hunger. Two years after he left office and as a member of the coalition, he is talking about hunger. He is just hungry for power.
“How do you insult Nigerians and trivialise poverty and hunger? You are insulting Nigerians. It is just that you have stayed out of power — that is the hunger”, Wike stated.
Amaechi, in turn, refuted Wike’s insinuation that he played a role in his emergence as governor.
He insisted his governorship was the result of divine intervention, a legal mandate, and the will of the people of Rivers State.
The former minister also shed light on why he appointed Wike as his Chief of Staff instead of offering him the role of Commissioner for Finance, revealing it was a strategic decision aimed at keeping Wike under his direct supervision.
“Mohammed Adoke flew all the way from Abuja to Port Harcourt. That week he asked me to make him commissioner for finance and I said no, he has to work under me. I want him as chief of staff so I can supervise him.
“I didn’t offer him commissioner for finance. You see, I’m saying this because I don’t want to join issues with children. I was once his boss. Whether he likes it or not. I hired him. I could have said no,” he said.
He continued, “You know, he made himself chief of staff. He made himself governor. He made himself minister. He made himself local government chairman.”
Taking a further swipe at Wike’s conduct and political style, Amaechi said, “There’s no more respect for family names. People just do and say anything.”