Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi has said that the Finance Minister was wrong to remark, “I dey kampe” after calls for her resignation by the G7 faction of the PDP due to the state of the economy.
Amaechi stated that Rivers State was yet to receive its full allocation for July and wondered how that could be a good sign.
Speaking at a program organized by the Rotary International, District 9140 for young future leaders at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Thursday, Amaechi also said Uduaghan was wrong to say nobody from the South-South should oppose President Jonathan. He said Jonathan was yet to bring the dividends of democracy to the South-South.
He said: “When you are principled in Nigeria and you stand on your principles, what do they call you?”
“Stubborn,” the audience chorused.
“They expect you to compromise at a point but when you refuse to compromise, you are a very stubborn man.
“We (NGF) asked the Minister of Finance to resign if she is not able to manage the economy and she replied, ‘I dey kampe’. As at now, we are yet to receive the complete federation allocation for July.
“How strong is an economy that cannot fund its statutory state government federal allocation? Our entitlement as Rivers State Government in July was N19 billion, they have paid us only N14 billion, you get the point?
“Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) published (revenue) receipts of N1.05 trillion in July, so why do they say that there is no money? If we receive N1.05 trillion by July, why are they saying there is no money?” he queried.
HE said he was interested in the Youth and wanted to teach them how to question their leaders and not become as bad as their generation of leadership.
He added: “Now, why am I saying this to you? I am saying it because as potential leaders, you must learn to ask questions. If you think that the youths spur me, you don’t, you don’t inspire me. Why don’t you inspire me? Because you are learning to be like us. Let me paint the image of us – corrupt, poor leadership, that’s what you are copying.
“We produce oil and we are one of the poorest nations in the world, are we not? Which nation would allow a Commissioner of Police like (Joseph) Mbu to continue as commissioner other than in Nigeria?”
“Iraq, Syria,” the crowd replied.
Responding, he said: “Maybe Syria. So you see our peers – Syria, Iraq, Pakistan. I am sharing experiences with you before I talk about the issue of leadership.
“Now, I read today’s paper and my friend (Emmanuel) Uduaghan says anybody who is from South-south should not oppose our president, should not have a different view from our president. Did you read it?
“I will reply him but let me start replying him from here. First, I am a Nigerian. The reason why you have the South-south, South-west, South-east, south this, North-west, north that, is because in Nigeria what you have in leadership is a wrecked culture.
“I would have brought you a book titled ‘It’s Our Turn to Eat’ on Kenya. In Nigeria, it should be what, ‘It’s Our Turn to Chop’.
“The reason you have this South-west, South-east, North-west, north this, north that and all that is because you have a wrecked culture, where all we care about is how to share the till.
“So the South-south has shared for four years, how many of you have benefitted from the sharing for four years, raise your hands; how many of you?”
“None,” the crowd again responded.
“So none. How many of you passed through the East-West Road, how was the road?”
“Bad,” the audience said.
“And our president is from the South-south, so you see; should I support the president?” he asked.
“Nooooo,” the crowd drawled in unison.
“So the basic rule is that none of us should oppose our president if you are from South-south, that is what the man (Uduaghan) tells us,” he said.
Addressing the country’s growing povert levels, AMaechi said Nigerians barely had enough food to eat.
“Now for you as young men and women, we present you a nation that is yearning for repair. For me, the nation does not only need repair, it requires change.
“In 1970, the poverty rate in Nigeria was 30 per cent. How many of you know the poverty rate now? I was in a meeting where I said it was 70 per cent but the Minister of Finance said it was 68 per cent. What’s the difference between 68 and 70? So we are giving you a nation that is in a comatose state, that’s what we are handing over to you.
“If it is a nation that is progressing, from 30 per cent in 1970, we should be talking of about 15 per cent now. So you have work to do and the first step to that work is get an education,” Amaechi said.
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