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‘Nigerians Don’t React’, Amaechi Blames Citizens For Politicians’ Rascality

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2023

A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has blamed the docility of Nigerians for the inability of the country to get the right form of leadership.

Amaechi was speaking at the 2023 TheNiche Annual Lecture themed “Why We Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism, and the Nigerian Condition,” held on Thursday in Lagos where he was a special guest.

According to him, Nigerians know most politicians are not honest but they still go ahead to vote for them during elections.

“What is new to say, Nigerians don’t react to anything. Has any politician told you he is not a thief? Which politician told you he went to university, which politician told you she served in NYSC, and which politician told you he has his certificate?

“Nigerians know and still vote for them, so what is your problem? I say why should I speak when already there’s nothing new?

“Nigerians choose who to believe and who not to believe, Nigerians choose who to vote and who not to vote. Even if you come to a Nigerian man’s house and kill his mother, the father will continue his life. Nothing bothers you, nothing, so why should I waste my time?” Amaechi said.

The former governor of Rivers State also criticized a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, (NPA), Hadiza Usman, for allegedly putting out false narratives in her book titled: “Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority.”

“The lies were too many. For instance, she claimed she was not invited by the panel. I even came with the memo of the president, where the president endorsed her removal,” the 58-year-old said.

“Count one is in the question of the fact that the panel says she is guilty; count two is due to the fact that a Managing Director of NPA with an N2.5m approval limit can approve N2.8b contract with no appropriation.”

Two years ago, then-President Muhammadu Buhari asked Hadiza Usman to step aside from her role while an Administrative Panel of Inquiry, headed by Rotimi Amaechi, investigated the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Amaechi insisted that Mrs Usman was guilty of the same crimes she was accusing him of and making concessions for the high and mighty in society.

“Why is that document not published because prominent Nigerians are involved? She gave waivers to prominent Nigerians, which she has no power to give and these are dollars accruable to Nigeria’s economy but she was bold enough to write a book or is it a pamphlet and Nigerians are following her, launching the book, so how will Nigeria move forward?

“But let’s wait until they bring the original copy because if I give you the photocopy, you will say it is fake. I will show you the original but I won’t allow you to read it because you would see the names of those prominent Nigerians that were indicted by the panel. I would rather read the areas that concern her and leave those prominent Nigerians, they didn’t look for my trouble.”

The former minister affirmed that Usman had been indicted by the panel and denied that he was purposefully behind her removal as the boss of the NPA.

News

IPF Holds Annual Ijaw Media Conference December

Published

34 minutes ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

The Ijaw Publishers’ Forum has announced the second edition of its annual Ijaw Media Conference.

The conference themed “Safeguarding Oil and Gas Natural Resources for Future Generations in the Niger Delta” will take place on December 11, 2025, at KFT Place, beginning at 12 noon.

In a statement signed by the IPF National President, Comrade Ozobo Austin, the Forum noted that the conference is intended to strengthen public understanding of the dangers of oil theft, unchecked exploitation, and environmental pollution.

The statement highlighted the severe harm these practices inflict on the region, affecting both ecological systems and human communities and hindering long-term development.

The 2025 planning committee, chaired by Arex Akemotubo, has Tare Magbei as Secretary. The committee is charged with the responsibility of a successful programme.

Other members of the committee are:
Francis Abai, Financial Secretary while
Ezekiel Kagbala, Sunday Daniel; Mike Ugedi, Dr Kegbe, Sam Dogitimi,
Tam Okumbiri, serve as members.

The Forum urged leaders, stakeholders, and young people to work with relevant authorities and security groups to support continued public awareness efforts aimed at protecting the region’s natural resources and the wellbeing of its inhabitants.

The IPF also called for sponsorship and invites all stakeholders and the wider public to attend the conference on December 11, 2025

News

2027: Era Of ‘Ghost’ Voters Over, Says INEC Chairman

Published

7 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has declared that identity theft and multiple voting, which have plagued Nigeria’s elections for decades, have been effectively eliminated following the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.

Amupitan made the declaration in Abuja at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, the INEC Chairman said BVAS had now become a decisive tool in protecting the integrity of votes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Represented by a National Commissioner, May Agbamuche Mbu, the INEC Chairman said the era of identity fraud in Nigeria’s elections is over, noting that BVAS has evolved into a foolproof verification mechanism at polling units across the country.

“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful and eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit..

“With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system,” he stated.

He backed the claim with data from the recently concluded Anambra Governorship Election, where 6,879 BVAS devices deployed for the exercise recorded what he described as a highly commendable performance.

According to him, more than 99 percent of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing portal on the same day as voting.

“These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture. The figure announced at the polling units is the same figure visible to the public. Technology has safeguarded the vote,” he said.

Amupitan also stressed the importance of the legal backing now enjoyed by the Commission’s technological tools.

He explained that while earlier innovations lacked statutory enforcement, the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 47 subsection 2, transformed digital devices from administrative guidelines into what he described as statutorily protected pillars of the electoral system.

“This legislative foundation ensures that our digital tools have both operational and legal legitimacy. It has strengthened public trust and enabled the Commission to innovate with confidence,” he added.

Despite the progress, the INEC Chairman admitted that connectivity gaps remain a major challenge.

He said the country’s 176,846 polling units, many of which are located in swamps, mountains, and remote communities, make real-time transmission of results one of the most difficult tasks during elections.

He, however, ruled out any possibility of returning to manual accreditation, which he described as vulnerable to human interference and a threat to electoral credibility.

Amupitan maintained that the era of ghost voters in Nigeria is over, insisting that the Commission is committed to transparent, verifiable, and credible elections.

“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse. The Commission will continue to strengthen the system and upgrade to more seamless solutions in future elections,” he said.

“Our mission is simple. Every eligible voter must be accurately verified. Every vote must be properly counted. Every result must be transparently shared. Technology has helped us to secure these foundations of democracy.”

News

JUST IN: Wike, Govs Makinde, Bala Mohammed Clash At PDP Secretariat

Published

8 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Chaos erupted at Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday as rival factions, led by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on one side, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on the other, clashed over control of the party’s headquarters amid the ongoing leadership dispute.

According to ARISE, security operatives aligned with both the FCT minister and governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed engaged in a chaotic standoff over control of the complex, with teargas reportedly deployed around the premises by both sides.

Governor Makinde stormed the venue alongside the newly elected National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja, while Nyesom Wike remained with Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary who maintains that his tenure remains valid until December 8, 2025.

Party leaders have expressed deep concern over the incident, accusing the police of failing to maintain neutrality amid the ongoing leadership crisis within the opposition party.