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| Rotimi Amaechi |
The Current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed
that the current economic recession in the country started under the leadership
of former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
Amaechi explained that the former minister of finance, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, however, pleaded with him not to tell Nigerians that the country
was broke then.
The minister added that the past administration covered up with the
excuse that the country was cash-strapped.
According to the report, Amaechi alleged that Okonjo-Iweala begged him
to stop saying Nigeria was broke in order Not to drive away investors from the
country.
He said, “People just pick up words without knowing what they mean.
Even under Goodluck (Jonathan) we went into recession.
“I am one of those who participated in the budget. We looked at what
happened in the past and we discovered that actually if recession means three
times (three quarters of negative economic growth), we have done more than the
three times before we came in.
“The difference is that while our government is transparent and open,
we are able to admit that, the Federal Government was saying even to me as
chairman of governor’s forum, ‘Amaechi, don’t say that again’.
“If you remember as governor, I said we were broke. The minister of
finance came to my office in Abuja and pleaded with me that I shouldn’t say it
again. That if I said it, it would affect Nigeria in terms of investment; that
investors will run away. That I shouldn’t say we are broke. I should say we are
cash-strapped. That was what Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told me.
“So, I knew as chairman of Nigeria Governors’ forum, that we had gone
into recession under Goodluck. I knew as chairman of governor’s forum. And when
I open my mouth to say it, that we are broke, she spoke to me not to say it.”
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