The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has called on Igbos to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 to pave the way for an Igbo presidency. The Punch reports that Amaechi gave this view at a lecture at the 12th convocation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state on Wednesday, March 22.
Amaechi urged Igbos to allow the north see out its tenure in order for the Igbos to stand a chance in 2023. “You (Igbo) did not vote for Buhari, true or false? You voted for the PDP and what did they do for you? The PDP abandoned the Enugu-Onitsha expressway since 1999, but Buhari is working on it with dispatch, true or false? “Buhari is working on the second Niger Bridge; he is working on the Otuocha-Ibaji-Abuja Road; he is working on the Abakaliki-Onueke Road; he is working on the Oji-Achi-Naku Road in Enugu State; he is working on the Ozalla-Akpugo-Amagunze Road. He is also working on Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road. “Under Buhari, all major cities of the South-East are captured in the existing railway project. Name one government that has done up to this within two years. Our problem is that we are just being emotional.” The minister urged Igbos to move to a national party rather than a regional one which he said would not do them any good.
Meanwhile, President Buhari approved that negotiation should be carried out for 15 billion dollars loan for the completion of work on the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri rail project. Ameachi made this known when he briefed State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 20. According to him, the president has also given the approval for negotiations of funds for the execution of Lagos – Calabar rail project to ensure its speedy completion.