TheCable

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says he is burning with zeal to make a difference in the lives of Nigerians.

Amaechi said this on Saturday in Rivers state while declaring his intention to run for office of the president.

The minister said his aspiration is not about fulfilling a personal ambition but a ”moral duty to give what I can in the service of my country”.

“Today, I stand as an aspirant to the position of President because of that same passion for people; that same drive for results. More than ever before, I am burning with the zeal to make a decisive difference in the lives of all Nigerians,” he said.

“No matter the darts and arrows that come my way, I will remain steadfast because the stakes are too high. We cannot afford to fail. We cannot afford to veer off-course.

“My aspiration is not about fulfilling any personal ambition. I am contesting for office because I believe that it is my moral duty to give what I can in the service of my country.

“To sustain and intensify present efforts at solving our national problems, our democracy must ensure the emergence of a leadership that is equipped with broad experience in governance to ensure stability and continuity.

“To sustain our democracy and preserve our unity, we need a steady hand and a passion for success in a nation that remains united to pursue prosperity for all Nigerians.”

Amaechi said he is compelled by the urgency of the country’s challenges to give his service as president of Nigeria.

“At 58, and a member of the generation born after independence who has seen the good, the bad and the ugly of Nigeria, I am compelled by the urgency of our present challenges to place my experience and proven capacity at the service of the nation at the highest level,” he said.

“We are facing some very serious challenges as a country. These are problems of insecurity, challenges of greater accountability in governance, youth unemployment and the scourge of spiraling poverty.”

Amaechi’s declaration follows weeks of speculations amid declarations by various interest groups asking him to run for president.

Meanwhile, when asked in a recent interview with ARISE TV on if he would contest the presidency, he avoided giving a yes-or-no answer, and instead, said those asking him to run should give him money.

“Tell them if they don’t know what to do, they should give me this money. When they come to approach you that they want to appear, and if they have money, they should give me. I need money to survive,” he had said.