I Would Pursue Tinubu’s Policies, But the Gains Are in Private Pockets – Amaechi

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that if he were president of Nigeria, he would have implemented some of the policies currently being pursued by President Bola Tinubu. Speaking at his 60th birthday celebration in Abuja on Saturday, the former Rivers State governor, however, criticized the manner in which the benefits of these policies are being handled, claiming they are ending up in private pockets.

Amaechi expressed concern over what he described as a lack of genuine capitalist ideology among Nigeria’s political elite, stating that political disagreements in the country are often rooted in the struggle to share national resources rather than in any ideological difference. He called for a more unified national interest that transcends party lines, urging both government and opposition to prioritize Nigeria’s well-being.

“If I were the president, yes, I would pursue some of the policies they are pursuing, but ask what the failure is: the failure is that the gains of those policies are in their private pockets,” Amaechi said.

He referenced Nigeria’s previous subsidy spending, which he claimed reached up to N5 trillion at one point, and questioned the current use of those funds. “At a point we were paying between four to five trillion naira as subsidy, where is the money now? If they dumped it on the economy, you will not be crying,” he added.