The Senate on Thursday screened the former governor former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, for ministerial position after three postponements.
True to predictions, Amaechi’s screening was not without drama and controversy, as the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, first told the Senate that the PDP caucus would not ask him any question since the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had not been debated by the Senate.
But the Majority Leader, Ali Ndume, suggested that Amaechi should take a bow and go, saying one of his duties as Senate leader was to market the ministerial nominees.
However, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, ensured he was asked questions, leaving the moment for All Progressives Congress, APC, senators alone.
While fielding questions from the senators, Amaechi said he disliked corruption, adding that he was not indicted in the whole report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry of Rivers State.
“There is nowhere in the report of the Judicial committee, not (even) the white paper by the governor, that I am indicted for corruption,” he said.
He revealed that he had never taken bribe in his life either as a private person or public official.
Amaechi who was asked to define corruption said, “Corruption is very difficult to define. If you are a public officer and you don’t take bribe, I’ve never taken bribe in my life but if they send a girl to you and you sleep with the girl and do her favour, you are corrupt.”
According to him, “Corruption is a very wide concept. If people are contesting for a position and you offer your son, brother or sister an opportunity to hold that position, probably the person is not qualified, you are corrupt. So, it is difficult for me to define corruption.”
Speaking on the APC victory in the last presidential election, he said the party was able to sell to Nigerians that there was massive corruption in the previous government.
“So we let Nigerians know that the only solution was to change government. And then, we presented a signpost candidate who is incorruptible.”
On Niger Delta problems, he assured that the East West Road would be his top priority if he is appointed minister for the region.
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