Amaechi Speaks Out: The Real Reason I Hired 1,000 Northerners During Buhari Era

Amaechi Reveals Why He Ordered Employment of 1,000 Northerners During Buhari’s Administration

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that he directed the employment of 1,000 northerners during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking at an event in Abuja, Amaechi disclosed that he instructed the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to carry out the recruitment. According to him, the move was influenced by the realization that southerners, particularly from the South-South and South-East, dominated the agency’s workforce at the time.

He explained that his decision was driven by the high rate of poverty and unemployment in northern Nigeria.

“I established the University of Transportation in Daura. I did those things because I understood that poverty and unemployment were major issues in the North,” Amaechi stated. “When I took office as Minister of Transportation, I discovered that the South-South and South-East had the highest number of employees in NIMASA. So I told the DG to employ 1,000 northerners. I even took northerners to China for training.”

In a related development, Amaechi also voiced concern over the current state of the country, suggesting that he and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, would not have remained silent if they were still in office.

At the public presentation of Lamido’s autobiography, “Being True to Myself,” Amaechi reminisced about their time as governors, highlighting their bold stance and dedication to holding the federal government accountable.

“I asked you (Lamido) this morning: would what’s happening in Nigeria today have happened when we were governors? You said no. And I agree,” Amaechi said. “We would have challenged the government and the president. That’s how radical and determined we were.”

Reflecting on his political journey with Lamido, Amaechi admitted they had once been close allies, especially when it came to taking strong political positions. However, their alliance later broke down due to divergent strategic choices.

“We were very close in government, though we had our disagreements. I made the mistake of thinking he was as radical as I was,” Amaechi noted. “Our final split came when we decided to oppose President Jonathan. While some of us remained in the APC, Lamido chose to join the SDP, believing it was a better alternative. That was the point at which we parted ways.”