Amaechi was represented out of context in cut and paste style, Semenitari reacts to audio tape

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Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari, a former Commissioner in Rivers State when the Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi served as governor, has reacted to an audio
recording making the rounds that the minister had spoken against President
Muhammadu Buhari.

Semenitari’s reaction on her Facebook page reads:

Let me first make it clear that I am not speaking for the
Honourable Minister nor for his media team. He has quite competent hands who
can do so.

However,
I feel compelled as someone who had sat in at myriads of interviews granted by
the Honourable minister both when he was governor and a little while after that
to correct what I believe is deliberate twisting of what he had said.

First, a
bit of background to put things in context.

1. Anyone who has sat with Amaechi in
private discussions or at a media interview will agree that he has been
consistent in expressing the belief that most Nigerians do not hate corruption
but simply hate the fact that they are not the ones perpetuating the
corruption.

This has been his view expressed at different times in press
interviews. It is for this reason that he has maintained that only a bloody
revolution somewhat like the Rawlings revolution in Ghana will change Nigeria.

2. During the Jonathan era, he had made
these comments at various media discussions during which time he had also
lamented about the former President’s refusal to listen and take counsel. Media
colleagues at these events I am sure will remember. It is for this reason that
I am certain the first recording was from one of those parleys.

3. It is possible that the Honourable
Minister has also on some occasions spoken about the frugality of the Buhari
regime but he did so not in the context of negativity but as a positive
indication of a new Nigeria where pain will ultimately translate to gain. Again
I say this with the privilege of knowing his governance worldview in this
regards.

The reason I have bothered to speak about
this is because

1.
This is a clear case of cut and paste. Different conversations taken out of
context and brought together to create a narrative that is far from the truth.

2. I am saddened by the fact that a
purported conversation meant in the first place to be not for reportage and in
strict confidence is being peddled.

Though I wasn’t present at this so-called
meeting but I gleaned this from the supposed comments of the minister in the
peddled tape itself.

Like I said, I do not hold brief for the
minister nor can speak for his media team but I do owe my country, my
profession and posterity the truth that I know. Happy new year again and may
Nigeria prosper.