Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has urged the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to declare for presidency ahead of the 2023 general election.
Peterside, who is a frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the call yesterday during his visit to the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta, Rivers State, venue for the APC Thanksgiving Service in honour of the minister scheduled for April 9, 2022.
The former DG of NIMASA said Amaechi is “eminently qualified” to preside over the affairs of Nigeria.
According to Peterside, “Amaechi had shown sufficient capacity, and will take the best decisions for the overall interest of Nigeria as far as the federal government is concerned.
He declared that Amaechi had performed excellently as a minister and passed every credible test to prove his love, loyalty and dedication to Nigeria and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, “Amaechi has left no one in doubt as to his fabulous large heart to score infrastructure goals for the country. Not even his dyed-in-the-wool enemies would deny that Amaechi has performed excellently as Minister of Transportation. Today, Nigerians call him ‘Mr. Connect-Nigeria’ due to his drive to re-build, re-brand, re-position and revive the nation’s railway infrastructure, connecting the East to the West, North to the South through modern rail lines and subways.
“He has connected seaports to railway stations for the smooth freighting of goods to the necessary markets. Amaechi has also worked to secure Nigeria’s waterways, protect Nigeria’s critical maritime infrastructure for the growth of the economy and wellbeing of our citizens.”
Peterside said as a minister in the administration of Buhari, Amaechi had pursued and delivered on the president’s Railway Development Plans, “which fulcrum has been to connect every part of the country.”
The APC chieftain stressed that the minister possessed the mental strength to hold together the various diverse nationalities in the country.
“Amaechi has shown sufficient mental strength to manage a country as diverse as Nigeria as well as its nationalities. Detribalised to a fault, Amaechi sees the East, West, North and South as Nigeria and not regions or states, and treats Nigerians first and last as Nigerians. He showed that as governor of Rivers State when he appointed Nigerians of other states of origin as commissioners in his cabinet,” he said.
Peterside added that since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, Amaechi had been schooled in governance and political diplomacy, describing him as the man divinely prepared for the job.
The former NIMASA said: “In Amaechi’s case, as a humble student in Nigeria’s politics and governance, he has intimidating credentials. As Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, his colleagues-speakers elected him chairman, Conference of Speakers. His leadership qualities endeared him to them, and when it was time for his re-election, in the face of external interference, they resisted dictatorship to re-elect him.”
Peterside commended APC in Rivers State for the planned thanksgiving service even as he noted that it would offer the party an opportunity to “thank God for the journey so far.”
