Amaechi Lambasts Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala Over Nigeria's Dying Economy

                      

Chairman of Nigeria Governors' Forum, NGF, and Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday declared that the country's economy had gone comatose under the watch Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a woman who was begged by President Goodluck Jonathan to come manage the economy.

“Let me paint our image: corrupt and poor leadership, these are what you are coping with. We produce oil and yet, we are one of the poorest nations in the world. Are we not?"

“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; the Minister of Finance said it was 68 per cent. What’s the difference between 68 and 70?"

“South-South has ruled for four years; how many of you have benefitted from the sharing for four years? Raise your hands, how many of you? None. How many of you passed through the East-West Road, how was the road? And our President is from the South-South."

Okonjo-Iweala had while responding to a call for her resignation by the Amaechi-led NGF told journalists in Abuja, that in spite of the revenue challenges facing the country, all macro-economic indicators showed that the economy was performing “reasonably well.”

“The economy is doing reasonably well. It is not perfect but it is doing reasonably well. I say this because actual realities on the ground are bearing this out,” she claimed.

But at an event organised for future leaders by Rotary International in Port Harcourt, Amaechi explained that contrary to the rosy picture painted on Wednesday by the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating minister for the Economy, Nigeria is seriously battling to survive economically.

“We are giving you a nation that is in a state of coma; that is what we are handing over to you. If it is a nation that is progressing from 30 percent [poverty] in 1970, we should be talking about 15 per cent now.”

“We (NGF) asked the Minister of Finance to resign if she is not able to manage the economy and she replied that ‘I dey kampe’. As of now, we (Rivers) have yet to receive in full the federal allocation for July.

“How strong is an economy that cannot fund its statutory state governments’ federal allocation?"

Reacting to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s remarks that opposition to Jonathan should not come from the people of South-South, Amaechi said he considered national interest far above regional or personal interest.

“When you are principled in Nigeria and you stand on your principles, what do they call you? They expect you to compromise at a point but when you refuse to compromise, you are a very stubborn man,” he said.