Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that he has no attachment to wealth or material possessions, despite having spent nearly 40 years in Nigerian politics...
In an interview with The Sun, Amaechi portrayed himself as a man of simple living, revealing that he deliberately avoids a lavish lifestyle. According to him, even his wife drives his backup car, underscoring their modest means.
Now aged 60, the former Rivers State governor maintained that he has lived a scandal-free life and upheld a modest standard of living, even while occupying powerful positions.
“I don’t like money. Isn’t it surprising that I’ve been in Nigerian politics since I was 22? I’m now 60 – that’s 38 years in politics. What scandals have you heard about me? Have you ever heard that Amaechi stole money? When you came here, did you see luxury cars? My wife doesn’t even own one; she uses my backup vehicle,” Amaechi asserted.
Reflecting on his time in office, Amaechi admitted there were missed opportunities, particularly in tackling the housing deficit in Rivers State. He said that as governor, he hadn’t fully explored the potential for mass housing projects.
He explained that his experience as Transport Minister opened his eyes to new possibilities, especially from lessons learned in densely populated countries.
“There are about six million people in Rivers State. We could have borrowed funds to build six million housing units. High-rises and structured planning could have made it possible. In fact, someone at the Ministry once asked me, ‘How do you think we accommodate our 1.4 billion people? Are they living in the sky?’ That conversation shifted my perspective.
“If I had realised that earlier, perhaps I would have borrowed to build those homes while I was still governor,” he concluded.