Frontline Presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday, officially resigned his position in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Minister of Transportation to focus on his aspiration to contest for the 2023 presidency.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Amaechi Presidential Media Committee (APMC) signed by Kingsley Wali, in Abuja and made available to newsmen.
According to the statement, Amaechi in his resignation letter expressed profound gratitude to the President for considering him fit to serve in his administration.
He equally thanked Buhari for the enormous support given him, which he said, was responsible for the tremendous record of achievements he made in the Ministry of Transportation over the last seven years.
The statement quoted Amaechi as saying in his resignation letter: “It is with mixed feelings that I tender my resignation as the Minister of Transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to contest for the Presidential ticket of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.
“Your Excellency, it has been a great honour and privilege serving as a member of your cabinet following your historic victory at the polls in 2015. Under your administration, the Ministry of Transportation has recorded significant achievements, made possible by your visionary support and commitment to ensuring that we deliver on our mandate.
“As I embark on the next phase of our mission to work towards a better Nigeria for ALL NIGERIANS, I humbly seek Your Excellency’s prayers, blessings and look towards your continuous support and guidance.
“Your Excellency, whilst humbly seeking your kind consideration of my request please accept the assurances of my highest esteem.”
Amaechi, the 56-year-old quintessential politician believed to be the most qualified among those aspiring to secure the ticket of the APC for the 2023 presidential election, is widely reckoned as the best performing minister in the Buhari’s cabinet. The kind of zeal and energy with which he carried on in his revolutionization of the transport sector was never seen in any previous Minister of Transportation in the country.
All the agencies under his direct supervision – Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), among others – have been remarkably transformed and repositioned for better performance and greater efficiency in their operations.