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Nigeria - Former Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has explained the genesis of his open rift with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Daily Times reports.
Amaechi made the disclosure at a dinner held in his honour by a group of friends in Abuja.
“When the trouble between me and the former President started, as Chairman of Governors Forum, the oil subsidy was N300 billion under President Olusegun Obasanjo. It remained the same under (the late President (Umaru) Yar’Adua. Six months of President Goodluck Jonathan (administration), the oil subsidy rose to N1.9tr. Is it that the country now doubled its population or bought more machines or started manufacturing?
“As chairman of Governors Forum, I was in a position to get my own share of the N1.9tr but I chose the path of honesty and truth; you cannot catch me being dishonest.”
Amaechi said that he openly disagreed with Jonathan at another meeting where the issue of increasing fuel subsidy payment was tabled.
He said: “There was a time I walked into a meeting with the president (Goodluck Jonathan) and in the meeting, the argument was that they wanted more money for oil subsidy. As the chairman of Governors’ Forum, I stood my ground and told the president I was not going to support that.
“He asked me why and I explained that we were already in court on the issue of fuel subsidy. The (former) President abused the hell out of my life. I have huge respect for the President, but the only thing that made me disagree with him was on the issue of the management of the country’s treasury.”
He also challenged those who claimed that he betrayed the South-South with his support for the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari to tell the world how Jonathan’s presidency benefited the region in particular and Nigeria in general.
Amaechi also alleged that the nation’s resources were looted by people from all the geo-political zones, saying such act was superintended over by a President from the South-South.
Daily Times
Amaechi made the disclosure at a dinner held in his honour by a group of friends in Abuja.
“When the trouble between me and the former President started, as Chairman of Governors Forum, the oil subsidy was N300 billion under President Olusegun Obasanjo. It remained the same under (the late President (Umaru) Yar’Adua. Six months of President Goodluck Jonathan (administration), the oil subsidy rose to N1.9tr. Is it that the country now doubled its population or bought more machines or started manufacturing?
“As chairman of Governors Forum, I was in a position to get my own share of the N1.9tr but I chose the path of honesty and truth; you cannot catch me being dishonest.”
Amaechi said that he openly disagreed with Jonathan at another meeting where the issue of increasing fuel subsidy payment was tabled.
He said: “There was a time I walked into a meeting with the president (Goodluck Jonathan) and in the meeting, the argument was that they wanted more money for oil subsidy. As the chairman of Governors’ Forum, I stood my ground and told the president I was not going to support that.
“He asked me why and I explained that we were already in court on the issue of fuel subsidy. The (former) President abused the hell out of my life. I have huge respect for the President, but the only thing that made me disagree with him was on the issue of the management of the country’s treasury.”
He also challenged those who claimed that he betrayed the South-South with his support for the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari to tell the world how Jonathan’s presidency benefited the region in particular and Nigeria in general.
Amaechi also alleged that the nation’s resources were looted by people from all the geo-political zones, saying such act was superintended over by a President from the South-South.
Daily Times
