Amaechi insists Jonathan wasted $65bn excess crude fund

Transportation Minister and former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of reckless wastages of the country’s resources while in power, alleging that he squandered N65 billion left in the Excess Crude Account by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Amaechi, who was the chairman of the Governor’s Forum during Jonathan’s administration, stated this on the sidelines of the Future Awards Africa, held in Lagos.

Amaechi has previously attacked Jonathan on the excess crude account funds, but a former minister of finance, Dr Ngozi OKonji-Iweala has defended the former president.

According to her, it was the governors then that pressured Jonathan to share the funds contained in the account, as they refused to save.
But Amaechi claimed that the wastage coupled with his desire for a changed Nigeria, was what forced him to abandon the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and joined the All Progressives Congress in order to ensure Muhammadu Buhari emerges president.

Amaechi further said that due to the wastage of the previous administration, that Buhari inherited an empty treasury when he eventually emerged president.

“When Obasanjo was leaving, he left about $65 billion in the Excess Crude Account, but this money was frittered away and we wonder where the money is.

“As at then, the price of crude oil during the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration hovered around $140, with this, they did not leave anything for the incoming government.

“With that kind of money, we should be thinking of connecting Nigeria through rail system. The rail between Ibadan to Kano would have been completed.

“Also the rail gauge between Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Lagos to Calabar would have been completed, but all the excess crude money was frittered away, we need to ask questions,” Amaechi said.

Acknowledging that as the then chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum he had the powers to influence Jonathan’s administration positively, however, Amaechi said that he did not do so because he was simply fed up.

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“My attention and belief shifted to Buhari which was the viable alternative; I believe in the change mantra because it is the only way to improve on what is on the ground.

“He (Buhari) has not disappointed (the country) because the economy is now back on track and is growing. This is evident in the current prices of food items because it’s getting lower,” he added.

 

 

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