Minister of Transport. Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that the Buhari government has been very good to Igbos and has indeed done far better than the Jonathan administration.
Speaking at the 1st CKN News Annual Lecture titled “The Role of the Social Media in the Socio-Political and Economic Development of Nigeria” at the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Amaechi said the former president enjoyed tremendous support from the Igbo people but failed them in spite of his numerous promises.
“The Igbos gave Jonathan support, what did he do for you?” Mr. Amaechi asked, rhetorically.
“Of course!” he said in response to chant of “Nothing!” by some members of the audience.
“President Jonathan went to Onitsha and danced and promised to construct Onitsha bridge. Right? After that nothing happened,” he said.
“Now we are fixing the bridge without making promise. Or did we promise to construct Onitsha bridge? I didn’t hear him (Mr. Buhari) say he would construct Onitsha bridge during the campaign…except someone spoke on his behalf.“Today we are constructing the second bridge…which is the River Niger bridge,” Mr. Amaechi said.
He also highlighted the various road and railway projects being embarked on by this administration in South East Nigeria. He then noted that, the Buhari has been doing a lot but has not been talking so much about it. And this elicited laughter from the audience.
On social media, he noted that the platform was very instrumental to the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election but noted that it has its negative sides too, he slammed social media as a platform where 95 per cent of fake news are peddled.
He was of the opinion that in Nigeria some credible platforms exists online but the space has been taken over by all comers who have no respect for ethics or decorum. He said that he hardly believes what he reads, nothing that many of the stories were good stress relievers in this days of recession.
The event was also attended by Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corp, Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs of NCC and MrIkeddy Isiguzo, Publisher, The Oracle Newspaper, who also made a presentation.
