There seems to be trouble between two ministers in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibe Kachikwu and Rotimi Amaechi.
Both of them were at loggerheads on Monday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State during a town hall meeting organised by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on behalf of the Federal Government.
At the occasion, the Minister of Transport, Amaechi, explained that he cancelled the establishment of a Nigerian Maritime University, proposed for Okerenkoko in Delta State, because the government was broke.
He also said he advised the government to scrap the project because the previous administration of
Goodluck Jonathan had paid too much to acquire a site for the university.
He said the land for the school, which was supposed to be financed by the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration Agency, NIMASA, a parastatal under his ministry, was acquired for about N13 billion.
He also described the project as a “misplacement of priority” because there were transport institutes in Zaria (Kaduna), and Oron (Akwa Ibom), already.
“Okerenkoko (Maritime University), I am not against,” Amaechi said, stressing that, “My argument about Okerenkoko is that land alone is N13 billion.
“If you give me 13 billion, I will buy the half of Lagos. That 13 billion has built the university already.”
“What to do: let EFCC retrieve the money and release the money and we build the university. If they bring the N13 billion, I will build the university for them. That’s for land alone. I believe the Federal Government does not have money. When we have money, we can continue. The minister of petroleum has said he would look for the money. Minister, give me the money and we continue.”
But Kachikwu, who is the Minister of State for Petroleum, disagreed with Amaechi, saying he was in support of the project, drawing a loud applause from the audience.
“First, let me say on Okerenkoko University, I disagree with the Minister of Transport,” he said.
“Any facility that is located in the South-South we should work close to developing it. I don’t care the circumstances under which you are placed.
“It’s not in my position to determine whether land was valued at 3 billion or 10 billion. The appropriate institution which is at the cost system will determine that. That has nothing to do with development of infrastructure.
“And as far as I know, so much has already gone into the university.
“So much physical of assets are being developed. We are not going to throw away the baby with bath water. We deal with the issues but the university will be developed. If he (Amaechi) does not want it in Maritime, I will take it in petroleum,” he said.
