Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has criticized the current administration under President Bola Tinubu, alleging that while some of its policies are sound in principle, the economic benefits have been diverted into private hands instead of reaching ordinary Nigerians.
Amaechi made the remarks on Saturday in Abuja at an event marking his 60th birthday celebration. During his address, he lamented what he described as the continued prioritisation of political self-interest over national development within Nigeria’s leadership class.
While expressing that he might have implemented similar policy decisions if he were Nigeria’s president, Amaechi insisted the real issue lies in execution and equity. “If I were president, yes, I would pursue some of the policies they are pursuing, but ask what the failure is: the failure is that the gains of those policies are in their private pockets,” he stated.
The former minister went further to accuse Nigeria’s political elites of abandoning capitalist principles and focusing solely on personal enrichment. “In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; the quarrel among the elites is about sharing,” he said, pointing out what he sees as a fundamental flaw in the country’s governance culture.
He noted that Nigeria once spent as much as four to five trillion naira annually on fuel subsidies and questioned what has happened to those funds since the removal of the subsidy. “At one point, we were paying between four to five trillion naira as subsidy; where is the money now? If it had been injected into the economy, you would not be hearing complaints,” he said.
Amaechi also called for a reawakening of political responsibility, urging both ruling and opposition parties to put the country first. “We want to submit to the opposition if it can lead us out of this problem, and for the opposition to lead us out, we must all agree to prioritise the nation’s interest first,” he added.
His remarks underscore growing discontent among political stakeholders and the public over how government policies—especially in the post-subsidy era—are affecting the cost of living and economic equity across the nation.
What you should know
Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister and two-time Rivers State governor, has been a prominent figure in Nigerian politics for over two decades. His latest remarks reflect a rare critique from within the ranks of the ruling political class and highlight internal concerns about how current policies are being managed.
