President Muhammadu Buhari should have retained Rotimi Amaechi as the Minister of Transportation.
This is according to a former senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, who said Amaechi needs to complete the ongoing rail projects across the country.
“He should have been returned to ensure that these contracts that were signed with China, Portugal and other financiers of our railway projects, at least he sees them to the end,” Sani said in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.
“Because it has been the culture in this country, each time you have a new minister, projects are usually stalled when ideally there should be continuity in governance and activities of government.”
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The ex-lawmaker explained that the railway projects need to have a head who will continue to steer contracts so that the targets can be met.
Describing the transportation ministry as critical, the PDP chieftain said the ex-minister has made pledges of completing all rail projects before the expiration of Buhari’s tenure in 2023.
He also took a swipe at the current administration, saying things are too slow under Buhari’s government.
Specifically, Sani said it takes the President a long time to replace ministers who resign, recalling how Buhari delayed the appointment of his cabinet members in 2015.
Sani added, “Naturally, when you have a vacuum with the resignation of the ministers and their entry into the political scene, it is incumbent on the president to nominate a new set of ministers who will continue with the normal conduct of government and governance,” he said.
“It has been habitual for this President to take a very long time before replacing a minister. As you can see, many of these ministers have been there for eight years.
“But this time around, I think he is very conscious of the fact that time is against him and there are projects that have been left uncompleted.”
President Buhari had earlier sent names of seven ministerial nominees to the Senate as replacements for the ministers who had resigned to pursue their political ambitions.
Those affected by the resignation include Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu (Science and Technology) Godswill Akpabio, (Niger Delta Affairs), and Emeka Nwajiuba (Education, State).
While they left their roles in pursuit of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket, Uche Ogah, exited his role as the minister of state for Mines and Steel Development to pursue the Abia governorship bid.
Similarly, former Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Tayo Alasoadura, also resigned to contest for the APC senatorial ticket in Ondo.
