Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s minister of transportation from 2015 to 2022, has alleged that most of Nigerian politicians have questionable academic record .

This was part of the former Rivers State governor’s remarks while speaking as a special guest at TheNiche Annual Lecture titled “Why We Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism, and the Nigerian Condition,” in Lagos State on Thursday.

He claimed that Nigerians were to blame for politicians’ failure to provide responsible governance in the country. A video snippet of his speech at the event posted by Channels Television had recorded close to two million views on X at press time.

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What is new to say, Nigerians don’t react to anything. Has any politician told you he is not a thief? Which politician told you he went to university, which politician told you she served in NYSC, and which politician told you he has his certificate?
– Rotimi Amaechi pic.twitter.com/3L262l9iHy

— Channels Television (@channelstv) October 28, 2023

He said, “So many television houses and individuals have approached to speak on different issues since I left office and I declined. Why did I decline? My publicist said ‘don’t speak’, and I chose to obey my publicist. The second reason, what is new to say? Nigerians don’t react to anything.

“What is new to say? Nigerians don’t react to anything. Has any politician told you he is not a thief? Tell me one politician that has told you he’s not a thief. Which politician told you he didn’t forge? Which politician told you he went to university, which politician told you she served in NYSC, and which politician told you he has his certificate?

“Nigerians know and still vote for them, so what is your problem? Tell me, what’s your problem? I say why should I speak when already there’s nothing new?

“Nigerians choose who to believe and who not to believe. Nigerians choose who to vote and who not to vote. Even if you come to a Nigerian man’s house and kill his mother, the father will continue his life. Nothing bothers you, nothing, so why should I waste my time?

“I chose not to say anything because Nigerians will do absolutely nothing. Line up ten Nigerians tomorrow and shoot them, nothing will happen. The worst thing about Nigerians is even if you claim you have not committed any crime and they pick you tomorrow, Nigerians will say he is a thief. Nigerians will chorus it.”

He said he would not talk about Buhari’s government because he was a participant

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“Instead of Nigerians to be finding solutions to their problems, they are committing suicide. I am praying for you everyday that you should continue to be committing suicide so that by the time I wake up one day, all of you have died and I can now see the benefits of your deaths,” he said.