Former Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers said on Monday in Abuja that the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in this year’s general elections was engineered by God.
Mr. Amaechi said this at a reception organised for him by the Committee of Friends at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
He said God engineered the victory by giving the APC a good and credible presidential candidate, which enabled the party to win the last election.
He thanked all members of the party for working hard during the campaign, saying the victory was for all party members.
“Gov. Amaechi did not contribute more than you did. We all worked together; in fact, it will be unfair for us to claim the glory.
“This is because I believe that the victory of APC was engineered by God.
“And I saw it coming and told my friends that we would win. People thought I was a political mathematician.
“The more I prayed, the more God gave me the confidence that we would win.
“One of my prayer points was `God, do not tell me You will protect me after we lose; protect me now by making sure that we win’; and we won.”
Mr. Amaechi, however, stressed that APC must deliver, as the citizens would hold it accountable in 2019.
“We will not disappoint Nigerians. We believe APC governors are progressives and therefore, they cannot afford not to deliver.”
The former governor said that the struggle had been quite challenging since he joined APC, adding that the state’s allocation from the Federation Account had reduced grossly.
“From 2013, we were receiving N6 billion; by the time I left office, our wage bill monthly was N9.2 billion.’’
Mr. Amaechi recalled that when the state was receiving about N20 billion monthly, he employed more teachers for the university, college of education, polytechnics as well as secondary and primary schools.
He said that the increased wage bill of N9.2 billion was because more people were employed in the state.
“The fuel subsidy was N300 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it remained the same under President Umaru Yar’Adua.
“Within six months under President Goodluck Jonathan, the fuel subsidy rose from N300 billion to N1.9 trillion.
“Yet, Jonathan wanted more money for fuel subsidy.
“This prompted the trouble between me and the Jonathan administration,” he said.
Mr. Amaechi thanked the organisers for the reception in his honour.
The National Chairman of the APC, John Oyegun, said Mr. Amaechi had the ability to struggle, fight and win power, describing him as “hyper-active”.
“Amaechi brought passion and energy into APC and he was aware of the risks of failure. The man we are celebrating today deserves honour,” Mr. Oyegun said.
Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Chairman of the occasion, said Mr. Amaechi had transformed Rivers within the seven years he governed the state.
“I know this because I have visited Rivers many times and have seen the work he did.
“The primary schools in the state are better than some state universities.
“He also transformed the roads, health sector and created jobs, among other things.
“All these feats make him a transformative leader,” Mr. El-Rufai said.
The governor said that Mr. Amaechi was constantly strategising for the party, making him an arrowhead in the lead-up to the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
Mr. El-Rufai said the former Rivers governor particularly contributed to efforts to increase the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards from 50 per cent to 90 per cent nationally, shortly before the general elections.
He said that Mr. Amaechi was worthy of being celebrated because he displayed courage in everything he did and cared about humanity.
“He has no regard for ethnic affiliation; he has no regard for religious affiliation.
“He is a devout Catholic who believes that every human being is entitled to his or her religious beliefs.
“What matters most to Amaechi are fairness, equity and justice and I am happy to call him my friend,’’ Mr. El-Rufa’i said.
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He sabotaged His people he will surely rip the fruit ,like Zik who trusted the North and got nothing for it ,so will Amechi discover that go sun go moon Home is the best.
ReplyDeleteWell spoken my Brother today were is zik?
DeleteThis man is behaving like a kid
ReplyDelete@ Mr. El-Rufai, I HOPE THAT IS NOT GONNA BE THE SAME WAY YOU WILL DEVELOP KADUNA STATE IF YOU EULOGIZED AMAICHI AS HAVING DONE WELL IN RIVERS STATE? SEEING IS BELIEVING. YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL LIES ABOUT RIVERS STATE. THOSE FROM THERE AND VISIT THERE CAN TELL BETTER THAN YOU DO, SPECIALLY, WHEN YO COMPARED WITH THE ALLOCATIONS THAT ACCRUED TO THE STATE WITHIN THE TIME UNDER REVIEW. AL THESE HOSTING ARE JUST TO CREATE POLITICAL RELEVANCE FOR AMAICHI, AS PMB IS ALMOST FORGETTING HIM. HE'S YET TO SEE SOMETHING.
ReplyDeleteYou asked God to make Jonathan lose? That sounds childish. Jonathan lost because the people did not vote for him, not because Amaechi asked a favor from God. So, you are noe God's favorite son? Rubbish!
ReplyDeleteMr. Amaechi, we've heard you, but only time will tell about these your new found friends, and this your success.
ReplyDeleteNonsense person... he who betrayed his brother to succeed.. Will never prosper...
ReplyDeleteAmeachi is my man , come shine come rain.Ameachi isa man of prayer and it works for him. God protect him for his doggedness, AMEN.
ReplyDelete...... And God heard your prayer above Jonathan's prayer to win. Ameachi....... There is God.
ReplyDeleteJonathan probably didn't even pray at all. God can only grant a prayer that was requested
DeleteDr GEJ Spent all his 5yrs working tirelessly for de NORTH Yet the North Betrayed him .....
ReplyDeleteAmaechi..... Do not count ur chicks when they are not hatch.... Ur end will justify de praise...
Well Judas was one of the disciple, he do pray just like Amaechi but what was his end?. We awaits Amaechi's end
ReplyDeleteSo it now you remember that subsidy payment approval from the Emperor Amaechi that makes Jonathan to hate you. CHAI ! Amaechi, there is God o! Or is it because nothing new to say?. You think your so-call friends don't know?. You are only deceiving your fans not majority of Ngerians who knows your trust colour!
ReplyDeleteAll of u who support a robber like GEJ are fools! Were u not in naija when GEJ defrauded Amechi as d chairman of d Gov Forum? GEJ did not want d good of Amechi from inception, shey una don forget so soon. Or did GEJ not know dat Amechi is his brother and inlaw? GEJ know nothing about politics and do not want to learn from Amechi. God heard d cry of Amechi and ours
ReplyDeleteThis Amechi lies too much. This is about the 5th different story he is telling on why he was fighting Jonathan. The first which he told while Jonathan was President was that it was because of the Soku oil wells which Jonathan took from Rivers State and gave to Bayelsa. In fact at one time, Amechi was quoted as saying that once Jonathan returns the oil wells his quarrel with him would end. Next he said that it was because of Patience Jonathan. After that he said it was because of deductions from the excess crude account. Now he is saying that Jonathan's increase of subsidy payments and request for more subsidy payments "prompted the quarrel between him and Jonathan". Which one are we to believe. The unfortunate thing is that people like Elrufai who should no better are praising him just because he was in the trenches for ABC during the elections and funded the presidential campaign. Elrufai thinks that anybody who was corrupt but supported the APC in dethroned the PDP is justified.
ReplyDeleteAmaechi needs to see a psychologist. I'm sure it's not just childishness but psychological problem.
ReplyDeleteDe prayer of de wicked is an abormination unto God.Whatsoever a man soweth dat shall he reap..... ur loot in River state will find u out.Where is Abacha today....
ReplyDeleteAmaechi is the man,
ReplyDeleteno matter whatever appointment Amechi will get from Buhari, nemesis will catch up with him at the appropriate time
ReplyDeleteWhen it was so clear dat Ur Loot will get U to jail u played a smart one by joining APC ..... But is dat All ? U betrayed de South , GEJ, PDP and de Rivers People all for ur Selfish interest.... If Buhari does not probe u God will probe u and ur Patron St OBJ..
ReplyDeleteDid GEJ not got 1. something million votes in Rivers state (fraud) so Amaechi did not make GEJ loose.
ReplyDeleteStupid GEJ worked agaist him self.
Those of you criticizing Amaechi are just too myopic in your thinking, you have no gumption.
ReplyDelete“The fuel subsidy was N300 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it remained the same under President Umaru Yar’Adua.
“Within six months under President Goodluck Jonathan, the fuel subsidy rose from N300 billion to N1.9 trillion.
“Yet, Jonathan wanted more money for fuel subsidy. I want to know if it is true, I don't want to know who Amaechi is....it is the message he has passed that I am interested in...