By Adesina Soyooye
The immediate past Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has finally lost the plum office.
Amaechi had resigned from office to pursue a Presidential ambition against 2023. But he was given a technical knockout by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who beat him to a disrespectful second position to emerge the Presidential candidate of the Party.
Not a few people had hoped that President Muhammadu Buhari would re-nominate him to the office. But that hope was dashed Tuesday when Buhari sent a list of six nominees to the Senate to replace those members of his cabinet who quit to pursue elective offices.
The names of the nominees received by Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, were read on the floor of the Senate, Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
In the same boat with Amaechi are five others, including, Senator Godswill Akpabio who was Minister for Niger Delta and Barr. Emeka Nwajiuba, Minister for State, Education.
The letter reads:
“In accordance with Section 8 Subsection 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby forward the underlisted ministerial nominees for your confirmation.”
The nominees are:
Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh – Abia State
Umana Okon Umana – Akwa Ibom State
Egwumakama Joseph Nkama – Ebonyi State
Goodluck Nnana Opiah – Imo State
Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub – Kano State
Ademola Adewole Adegoroye – Ondo State
Odum Odih – Rivers State
For Amaechi, it is double jeopardy. Aside from losing the sum of N100m paid for Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, and losing his plum office, he is to face alleged criminal charges in Court.
The Rivers State Government has just filed Criminal charges against him, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers Governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, Sahara Energy, owned by Cole, and others.
The Government says they allegedly defrauded it to the tune of $50 billion, proceeds from the sale of some State assets. The money, the Government alleges, was paid into the accounts of Sahara Energy, a private concern.
Akpabio had stepped down for Tinubu at the last minute at the Primary election when he saw he stood no chance. His chances of going to the Senate is in serious jeopardy as there is controversy over his candidacy. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has already given him a red card.
Nwajiuba who was the first Cabinet member to resign without any promptings, failed to show up at the Primary election over the non-zoning of the Presidential office to the South, and especially, the South-east where he hails from.
Nominated in his place is Nana, a former Speaker, Imo House of Assembly, and a former Member, House of Representatives. He is, currently, a Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and hails from same zone as the Governor – Orlu zone.
