Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi believes Nigerian followers, not leaders, are the country’s problem.
He stated this at a public lecture themed “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria,” held to commemorate his 60th birthday in Abuja.
Amaechi argued that followers weren’t proactive in holding leaders accountable, allowing them to keep people impoverished.
“Nigerian leaders and elites are not the problem of Nigeria; the problem of Nigeria is the followers,” he said.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s over-reliance on crude oil revenue hinders economic growth, urging governments to create a productive economy.
“Nigeria doesn’t produce anything; we just want to feast on revenue gotten from crude oil,” Amaechi noted.
He expressed concern about Nigerians voting based on religion and ethnicity, saying, “An ordinary northerner who is Muslim has no problem with an ordinary southerner who is Christian.
”The issue arises only during elections when religion is politicised.”
Amaechi also shared his experience with an appointee who prioritised speaking Hausa/Fulani over advancing the country.
“I was ashamed of one of my appointees when I was Minister of Transport, she was more interested in speaking Hausa/Fulani to the President,” he recalled.
On his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, Amaechi revealed, “I met President Tinubu in Yola and told him, ‘I will not work for you and I will not vote for you.'”
He called on Nigerians to hold leaders accountable to reduce poverty and insecurity.
Guest lecturer Dr Chidi Amuta highlighted that Nigeria’s democracy remained stunted due to post-colonial parliaments established on the backs of poor people.
“The form of political organisation preceded the content of the lives of the people.
”An unproductive political elite imposed formal democracy on a mostly poor population,” Amuta said.
Amaechi’s sentiments echoed his previous statements, where he blamed Nigerians for electing leaders based on ethnicity and not holding them accountable.
