A two term Governor of Rivers State Governor and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that he does not have an affinity for wealth, despite spending nearly four decades in Nigerian politics.
Amaechi who spoke on The Sun interview on Sunday reflected on his political journey, lifestyle choices, and missed opportunities while in office.
The former governor, who began his political career at the age of 22, emphasized that he has maintained a modest lifestyle throughout his years in public service.
“I don’t like money. Are you not surprised that I have been in Nigerian politics from when I was 22 till now? I am 60. So, you are talking about 38 years of being in politics,” Amaechi said.
Highlighting his personal example, the former Minister questioned the perception of wealth associated with politicians, noting the absence of luxury vehicles in his household.
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“What scandals have you heard of me? Have you heard: ‘Oh, Amaechi is stealing money’? ‘Amaechi is this’?
“Simple! As you entered here, did you see posh cars? My wife doesn’t even have a car. I have to provide my backup car; that is what she drives,” he added.
Amaechi also spoke on some of the decisions he could have approached differently during his tenure as Rivers State governor.
“One such instance, he said, was the failure to explore large-scale housing initiatives for the state’s population.
“There are things you could have done differently, but that does not mean I have regrets. For instance, I could as well have borrowed money to build.
“There are six million Rivers people. We could have borrowed money to build six million houses,” he said.
Amaechi explained that his later experience as Minister of Transportation exposed him to innovative ideas on mass housing projects.
“It was my contact in the Ministry of Transport that made me know that actually, you can build six million houses for six million Rivers people. The question the person asked me was, ‘How do you think we accommodate our 1.4 billion persons?
“Are they living on the streets? Are they in the air? We accommodate them.’ So, ordinary six million, you can’t accommodate them?” he recounted.
Amaechi admitted that, had he been exposed to such insights during his governorship, he would likely have pursued the ambitious project for the people of Rivers State.
