Change of Mind About Rotimi Amaechi

I have been a strident critic of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, now the Minister of Transportation. A few years ago, I dubbed him, along with Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and Joe Igbokwe, as the worst thing that can happen to a tribe. My change of heart is least connected with the question of his reform or otherwise, as to the worst thing that could happen to a community. It has everything to do with the unprecedented progress he has made in the railway sector in the past five years. The truth is, if all the Ministers before him in that portfolio did half of what he has done so far, the whole of the country would have been linked by now by railway. 

My opinion did not take into account the fact that the coaches are not as beautiful or modern as what obtains in Morocco or Ethiopia, as I alluded to derogatively in some of my previous essays on the man and his performance. Also, it is interesting to juxtapose his performance with those of other Ministers in this administration and those before him to reach a conclusion. 

After more than five years on the job, the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Fashola, cannot link Nigeria by road with the countries on the west coast of Africa. The Lagos-Badagry Expressway is in a mess. And he remains helpless in the sight of the gridlock that paralyses road transportation between Abuja and Benin City. It is like Amaechi and Fashola are not in the same administration. 

On a final note, linking the Niger Republic with Kano by rail line is not Amaechi's call; that's President Buhari's way of reciprocating a few of the Niger Republic Governors and their huge delegation for participating and supporting him actively, and, in fact, by driving to Kano to show support during the last Presidential election. In other words, Minister Amaechi serves at the mercy of the President who appointed him. Therefore, I am willing to cut him some slack based on his tremendous strides in doing what no Minister has ever done in that sector.