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‘Selfish Lawmakers’ Are Reason for Our Inability to Procure Loan from China – Amaechi
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says the “selfishness” of some lawmakers, which resulted in a probe and generated publicity on the details of a 2018 Chinese loan agreement, has negatively affected the country.
In July 2020, a house of representatives panel had raised the alarm over clauses conceding Nigeria’s sovereignty to China in a loan agreement.
The probe dragged on for weeks, despite assurances from the Attorney-General of the federation, Abubakar Malami, that the federal government will work in the best interest of Nigerians, while Amaechi had also warned that the investigation may affect Nigeria’s chances when it comes to loans.
Giving an update on the situation on Monday when he featured on a Channels Television programme, Amaechi said the probe resulted in seven months of “waste”, as the approval process was delayed.
“That’s where we are. The loan for Ibadan to Kano, up till now we haven’t gotten approval. And at the point that happened, we were just on the verge of getting approval. They withdrew. They’re asking more questions,” the minister said.
“The two things I said at that meeting; they’re happening now. There are other countries we have loan agreements with, that we entered into agreement to borrow money from. They don’t usually ask for immunity clause, because they trust you, so they expect that you’ll pay back. The moment you brought this to the public, it was ‘ah! you’re giving China immunity clause, so you must give us.’
“The selfishness of those members, who I don’t know what they’re pursuing, has put the country into jeopardy. Now, other countries are asking for immunity clause in their own agreements.
“The other aspect I said was that the Chinese may likely withdraw. That’s where we are; we’re talking to them. They’ve promised to give us the loan, but at least it’s held us back since June till now. We’ve done seven months. If they had give us money since June, we’ll have gone far. We would have started clearing by now. But imagine seven months wasted because one or some few members of the House of Reps went to the public.”
Amaechi also gave a brief explanation of what was covered in the immunity clause regarding the Chinese loan agreement.
“I’ve explained over and over that what the immunity clause simply does is to say ‘look, in case you’re not able to pay back, I want to be given the opportunity to take you to court or to arbitration as it is in the clause’,” he said.
“What the immunity clause does for us as Nigeria is that you can go for everything in case the court awards you anything, but you can’t go for our diplomatic assets, military assets, oil assets. So, what’s remaining? Airport, railway… those are things you can go for in case the court awards you.”
Source: Reuters
Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.
Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.
According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.
Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.
He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.
He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.
“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.
“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.
“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.
“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.
“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.
“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.
“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.
“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has picked former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
Announcing the decision, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Amaechi’s emergence followed broad consultations within the party and reflected his strong performance as runner-up in the party’s presidential primaries as well as his track records of service to his state and the country.
According to the ADC, Amaechi’s extensive experience across both the legislative and executive arms of government, as former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term Governor of Rivers State, and former Minister of Transportation, makes him uniquely qualified to complement Atiku’s leadership, strengthen the party’s national appeal, and bolster its campaign to offer Nigerians an experienced and credible alternative ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party said the choice of Amaechi underscores its commitment to presenting a leadership team with proven governance experience and national appeal as it prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.
ThisDay
