Amaechi who spoke via Arise TV, a global television network, on Sunday, said that Buhari is as fit as a fiddle, while dismissing the rumour of the President’s death.
Recall, that news of the purported death of the President had gone viral in rumour circles, on Friday, forcing the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, to deny the speculation on his Twitter handle.
Speaking on Buhari’s heath status, Amaechi said: “Last Sunday, the President stood for one hour; and if he is not fit, he would have collapsed. I do not think we should discuss President’s medical history. What are we worrying about? I will soon go for 10 days vacation, in which I will go for medical check-up. The rumour about his death, or he is alive, is all nonsense”, he said.
On the state of the nation, Amaechi told Arise TV, that while the Buhari administration was committed to the development of the Niger Delta, it would not do so by sharing money to its political elites, as it was done in the past.
“The conversation on Niger Delta is on-going; recently Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, was in Niger Delta to continue with the dialogue. And President Buhari is committed to resolving the issues”, the Minister said.
He added: “But, unlike in the past, where the political elites were interfacing with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Presidential Amnesty Office, and sharing money meant for the development of the region, we will invest in infrastructure development and capacity building, in the area.”
Amaechi also gave reason for the present economic recession in the country, saying it was largely caused by the corruption of the past government.
“We are in recession, because when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was leaving office, he left $68 billion in foreign reserve. What happened to the $68 billion? Don’t forget we were in recession in 2009; we have forgotten that the then President, Yar’Adua, had to go to the excess crude account, to take a billion dollars every month, to fund the economy”, Amaechi claimed.
He explained: “By the time Yar’Adua died, about $48 billion was left in the excess crude account. They said the Governors’ Forum said they should share the money; fine. They should also ask why the Governors said they should share the money.
“At that time we used to hold monthly Economic Council Meetings. The Constitution says there must be at least one Economic Council Meeting every month. Under the watch of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, they stopped the meeting.
He added, that the excess crude account belongs to the three tiers of government, saying the Federal Government does not have the right to spend that money, without taking into account the feeling of the States and Local Governments.
“At that point, I became the Chairman of the Governors Forum, and when we looked at the way the money was going, we said we should share the money. We shared only $10 billion. But by the time Buhari took over, what was handed over was $2.5 billion from the excess crude account”, he added.
He further stated, that the Federal Government is doing everything to fight corruption, using the relevant anti-corruption agencies, by following the due process.
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