TheCable

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the money left in the country’s coffers by former President Goodluck Jonathan was not sufficient enough to last for three weeks.

Speaking during a Channels Television programme, the minister said President Muhammadu Buhari cleared some rots in the system when he came into power in 2015 and also diversified the economy.

Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state, said Buhari may not be a perfect leader, but the president loves Nigeria.

“When you talk about bandits and all these people that kill. It is a question about poverty. And that poverty didn’t start in this regime. Don’t forget that oil was sold at $110, $114, $115 per barrel. When this government came into power, oil fell to $28 per barrel and since then it has not gone above $80 per barrel.

“As former chairman of the governors’ forum, I was told by the security in a meeting chaired by the former President including the former minister of finance that at every point in time, the government must leave money behind in case Nigeria goes to war that would last for six months.

“By the time we came, they didn’t leave money behind that could last us for three weeks. And I was speaking at that time as the chairman of the governors’ forum.

“I’ve always said to people, we are not the perfect government. Buhari is like every other ruler who has his good and bad sides. But he is a man who loves Nigeria.”

Amaechi also stated how he tackled some irregularities in the country’s ports in order to achieve the ease of doing business.