BEVERLY HILLS, December 13, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has accused former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of gross mismanagement of the country’s resources.
According to him, the wastage of the country’s resources was so much during the PDP reign that a total of $65bn left in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) by ex-President Olusegun Obansajo was squandered by Jonathan.
Amaechi, speaking in Lagos, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari, who eventually defeated Jonathan, inherited an empty treasury when he came into office as President.
The former Rivers State Governor lamented that had the Jonathan government saved rather than squandered the country’s resources, getting money to fund some major railway projects in the country would have been easy.
“When Obasanjo was leaving, he left about $65bn in the Excess Crude Account, but this money was frittered away and we wonder where the money is,” he said.
“As at then, the price of crude oil during the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration hovered around $140, with this, they did not leave anything for the incoming government.
“With that kind of money, we should be thinking of connecting Nigeria through rail system. The rail between Ibadan to Kano would have been completed.
“Also the rail gauge between Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Lagos to Calabar would have been completed, but all the excess crude money was frittered away, we need to ask questions.”
Amaechi said he left the PDP because he was desirous of change and he saw a change agent in Buhari, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I moved from PDP to APC because I was tired of what was happening in the party. I had the option to stay because of my position as the Chairman of the governors then,” he continued.
“I could have used my position to fight them (PDP) and get what I wanted because I believed Nigeria was not going in the right direction by then.
“My attention and belief shifted to Buhari who was the viable alternative. I believe in the change mantra because it was the only way to improve on what is on ground.
“He has not disappointed because the economy is now back on track and is growing. This is evident in the current prices of food items because it is getting lower.”
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