Presidential Aspirant and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has said that if elected the President of Nigeria, his administration will take into consideration, infrastructure, and governance for the success of the economy.
He said this when he met with the leadership of the APC in Delta State on Friday, as part of his consultations for the 2023 presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amaechi, who also paid a visit to the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien, urged delegates to vote for him in the upcoming general elections.
According to him, “There are two essential elements that take people to power, governance, and infrastructure. If you combine these two, you create an economy. I am ready for you to run a referendum on my past activities. Governor for eight years, Speaker for eight years, and Minister for seven years. Let anybody who says Amaechi should not be President ask ‘what is his capacity?’ As Minister for Transport, I was on this track, the Warri-Itakpe rail line. When we came, there were bushes and trees on the track. And knowing that South-south is part of Nigeria, I got the President to approve the money, it wasn’t a loan, it was funded from the budget. Today, you can travel from Itakpe to Warri, Warri to Itakpe, and then to Abuja.
“The point I’m making is, it was there 32 years before we came, if we did not do it, it would have continued to be like the forest that we met. I’m working extremely hard to make sure the Lagos-Calabar rail line starts. We’ve awarded the contract, we are looking for a loan. What affects you is that from Benin, there’s a spur to Onitsha, and there’s a new bridge into Onitsha.
“If I don’t become the President of Nigeria, nobody will do that project, because it is $11 billion and that is, for now, one of the biggest projects in the world. So this is not the time to play with your votes. It is our future. The day we do Lagos-Calabar which goes up to Onitsha, that is the day you’ll see some developments coming back here. Just give us another six months, you’ll see the impact of the second Niger bridge.
“As a minister, I don’t think the Nigerian people will say I’m an absent minister. I’m a Minister that is present almost all the time because I know what it is to deliver to the people. I have that capacity to deliver. Vote for me because I have the capacity to turn Nigeria around, and when I get there, please hold me accountable.”
Amaechi, while naming his achievements while he was Rivers governor said “hope is in the corner”, assuring that things will change for good if elected.
Earlier, the Chairman, Delta State APC, Engr Omeni Sobotie, in his remark lauded Amaechi for being instrumental to the resolution of issues within the APC in the State.
According to him, “For the first time since 2015, we’re going to go into a battle of 2023 as a united front. We no longer have any differences in APC. I want to acknowledge the man with whom God has done this for us, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. God has used him as an instrument to affect total reconciliation in the party. I also want to tell you that the Deputy President of the Senate (Omo-Agege) is so excited that you’ve been able to achieve this.
The chairman said the State delegates are in total support of his candidacy to emerge as the President of Nigeria in 2023.
