Stop Media Persecution of Amaechi – SNYA Tells Rivers State Government

The Southern Nigerian Youth Alliance (SNYA) has called on foreign media to always balance their news before publications

In a press release jointly signed by the Coordinator and Publicity Secretary of Southern Nigerian Youth Alliance in Abuja today, the group said Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi remained innocent as nobody has brought up any allegations against him in the Law court, EFCC and the ICPC.

The group said the Rivers State Probe Commission set up by Governor Wike was totally a political commission even though the main white paper did not mention of Rotimi Amaechi in her final report.

Below is the full text of the press release:

Re: Is Nigerian Leader’s Pal ‘Fantastically Corrupt’? Friend Of African President Accused Of Stealing £500million.

The attention of Southern Nigerian Youth Alliance (SNYA) has been brought to a publication by one Paul Cahalan for The Mail On Sunday, UK.

Paul Cahalan said Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, remains in his post as Minister of Transportation despite being accused of misappropriating £338million by a commission investigating the sale of state assets. We wish to remind Paul Cahalan that the so called Commission NEVER indicted said Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi in the white paper available to the public.

Secondly, the Commission knows the right channel to take her report to if anybody is indicted in their report.

Cahalan claimed that in the Nigerian press, that Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has been dubbed ‘ATM’ – the American term for cash machine – because of his ability to produce vast sums of money at short notice, we want to know which of the Nigerian press he cited for this biased publications.

Cahalan also alleged that Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi misappropriated £338million according to commission investigating the sale of state assets, how much is the total allocations to Rivers State under his administration?

“Separately, Amaechi is accused of diverting £140million of state funds into Buhari’s presidential campaign, with reports he paid for media, consultants and private jets.” Can Cahalan please publish the receipt or evidences for the media, consultants and private jets done by Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for Buhari’s presidential campaign?

We want to remind Cahalan and his sponsors that if Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi stand indicted, President Buhari won’t nominate him neither sent his name for confirmation at the National Assembly for confirmation as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Even though Cahalan ended is article with “Mr Amaechi has denied the allegations against him”, we still find his article ridiculous as it is purely sponsored by political opponents of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and the Buhari’s administration from Rivers State.

If any group or individual have anything allegations against Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, such group or individual should go through the right channels; Law court, EFCC and ICPC, instead of embarking on unnecessary media persecution.

Finally, we called on foreign media to always hear from both side for balance reportage before publications to avoid libel and also called on the Rivers State Government to go through the right channel if they have any allegations against Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi.

Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi remains the Hero of Democracy in Nigeria and we have no doubt about that.