The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, says he does not speak carelessly and is not always drunk.
Amaechi stated this when he appeared on African Independent Television on Wednesday.
When asked to comment on a statement credited to Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor, the minister said he does not speak carelessly.
Wike had on Monday described the construction of the Bonny Deep Seaport which was flagged off on Tuesday as a political tool by the All Progressives Congress, APC to attract new members.
He said: “Let them tell us what they had done for Rivers state. I hear they want to flag-off railways narrow gauge from here (Rivers state) to Maiduguri. Is that what we need?
“They want to do Bonny Deep Sea Port, for how many years now? Before the drawing will come out, has the government not gone. In their hearts, they know they’ll not do it. They only have this year, next year is political year. Tell them we cannot be deceived any longer”.
But Amaechi said he was once a governor and was taught before he took office that governors do not speak carelessly, that governors speak with facts.
He said: “I was taught before I became a governor that when you make a statement, millions of Nigerians depend on that statement
“I am not garrulous in that nature. I speak intelligently knowing that when I speak, it matters. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t speak out of my sense”
He was asked if he was suggesting that Wike is an alcoholic, Amaechi said he was not suggesting anything, and asked that he should not be involved in the issue.
However, Wike who fired back on Wednesday, accused the APC-led Federal Government of shielding Amaechi from prosecution for misappropriating proceeds from the sales of some of the state’s assets.
He said the Federal Government had continued to protect Amaechi from prosecution for his alleged inability to account for $308million from the sales of the state-owned power plant and other critical assets when he was Rivers Governor.
Wike noted such protection emboldened the Minister to consistently made efforts to undermine the state government by influencing postings of the Commissioner of Police and General Officer Commanding, the Nigerian Army to Rivers State.
According to him: “People gave you opportunity. You sold our properties, everything. And people are talking in this state because of the government that says they are fighting corruption and protecting people.
“You sold our property for $308million and kept for us $208,000. That is the kind of people parading themselves in government, for a government that says they are fighting corruption, shame.”
