Former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that landmark rail projects executed under the former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, remain clear evidence of his performance during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Eze was reacting to recent comments credited to Andrew Emwanta, who had allegedly dismissed Amaechi’s achievements in office, particularly his eight-year tenure as Transportation Minister.
In a statement made available to journalists, Eze described the claim that Amaechi had “nothing to show” for his tenure as “misleading, unfortunate and borne out of ignorance,” insisting that such assertions do not reflect the realities of Nigeria’s transportation transformation under the Buhari administration.
He said it was “impossible for any objective observer” to ignore the revival and completion of key railway infrastructure projects, which he attributed to Amaechi’s leadership at the Ministry of Transportation.
According to him, major projects such as the Abuja–Kaduna Standard Gauge Railway and the Lagos–Ibadan Rail Line, as well as the operationalisation of the Warri–Itakpe Rail Service, stand as visible milestones of infrastructural renewal in the country.
Eze maintained that the Abuja–Kaduna rail line in particular has significantly improved inter-state transportation, enhanced passenger movement between the Federal Capital Territory and the North-West, and reduced pressure on road transport.
He further noted that the Warri–Itakpe Rail Line, which had been abandoned for decades, was revived and made operational under Amaechi’s supervision, describing it as a “critical national asset” linking the central and southern parts of the country.
Eze stressed that these projects, alongside several others initiated and completed during the Buhari era, form part of what he called “verifiable and irreversible achievements” that should not be subjected to political distortion.
He added that Amaechi’s tenure also witnessed the modernisation of rail infrastructure, procurement of new locomotives, expansion of rail corridors, and reforms in maritime and port operations aimed at improving national logistics efficiency.
The ADC chieftain urged critics to desist from what he described as “revisionist commentary,” advising that public discourse on national development should be anchored on facts rather than political bias.
He maintained that Rt. Hon. Amaechi remains one of Nigeria’s most impactful ministers in recent history, adding that his records as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor of Rivers State, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Minister of Transportation remain “indelible in Nigeria’s political and infrastructural development history.”
Eze also referenced what he described as public recognition of Amaechi’s performance, including awards and acknowledgements during and after his tenure, insisting that such honours were based on measurable impact rather than sentiment.
He concluded that history would ultimately vindicate leaders who contributed meaningfully to national development, urging Nigerians to ignore “politically motivated narratives” aimed at diminishing established records.
