2023: Nobody can stampede Amaechi to resign — Group

2023: Nobody can stampede Amaechi to resign — Group

      Minister of Transportation, Rotimi           Amaechi.

ABUJA—AHEAD of 2023 presidential election, Nigerian youths, under the aegis of Nigeria Youth Organization, NYO, weekend, declared that nobody can stampede the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to resign his appointment.

The declaration was contained in a statement signed by the Director General/National Coordinator, NYO, Dr Bala Abdulazeez, and National Secretary, NYO, Comrade Duke Alamboye, respectively.

The group made the declaration in response to an alleged call for the minister’s resignation or he should be sacked within 48 hours by the Solomon Adodo-led National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN.

The statement read:  “Our attention has been drawn to a press conference held by a faction of the  National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, led by Comrade Solomon Adodo calling on our amiable presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi to resign his position as the minister of transportation or get sacked.

“We are not surprised at the body language of Solomon Adodo moreso that political activities leading to the 2023 general elections have heightened up in the last few weeks.

“Our youths are active and have always seized every available opportunity to be heard. Perhaps our youths have discovered the towering credentials of Rotimi Amaechi and decided to put him to task in his presidential bid.

“Even at this it will be pertinent for us to clarify the germane issue raised by Solomon Adodo-led NYCN in order not to mislead Nigerians on the clean records and personality of  Rotimi Amaechi.

“No one can deny the fact that Rotimi Amaechi declared his intention to run for the office of President during a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt on April 9, 2022. 

”It, however, came a few days after the unfortunate attack of the train heading to Abuja from Kaduna by bandits.

“Considering the giant strides in the transport ministry and the colossal contribution of Rotimi Amaechi to the success of the APC led-administration in the last seven years it would be wrong for Adodo to liken his declaration as “dancing in the graves of the victims of the railway attack. 

”This is very, very uncharitable to the positive contributions of His Excellency to the development of Nigeria.

“We therefore call on the Solomon Adodo-led faction of the NYCN to withdraw their statement, and not expose those petty issues that have bedeviled the leadership of NYCN which has made it difficult to be taken seriously instead first concern yourself with reconciling the various factions within the organization.

“While we cannot take away the zeal and patriotism of our youths, we wish to call on NYCN to always verify facts directly from source before rushing to the press. The Minister of Transportation operates an open door policy, he can always be reached to clarify issues.

“We want to state categorically here that Amaechi strongly believes in Nigeria youths as partners in progress in his great vision of becoming the President and making Nigeria great. He will be glad if they can positively contribute to the success of his presidential ambition.”

However, the group expressed support for Amaechi presidency while highlighting salient achievements of the Minister for about eight years he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to head the transport sector, and described him as detriabalized politician who strongly believes in fairness and equity.

“In his fairness, he has ensured that the rail tracks are spread from south up to far north extending to Niger Republic thereby increasing trans-Sahara trade and boosting Africa economic growth. 

”This he did to ensure that no section of the country suffer from accessing easy transportation by rail. Except for the unfortunate incident, Nigerians for a very long time were enjoying and are still enjoying easy Railway transportation system.

“It is also on record that the minister has established depots for heavy duty goods to be offloaded in the Northern parts of Nigeria. 

”Today some heavy duty cargoes from the sea ports in the southern states of Lagos and Port Harcourt are easily conveyed and off loaded in the Northern part of Nigeria at the railway depots. This of course has increased economic activities and revenue drive and strengthened the nation’s economy.

“In a bid to sustain and consolidate the fledging transportation system in Nigeria the minister through his ministry moved for the establishment of University of Transportation at Daura. The university has been established and will start academic activities by September this year.

”Rotimi Amaechi did this because he is a great politician with foresight. He believes that in many years to come, the university will remain to provide the needed manpower for the transport sector, even after he might have left office,” it stated.