Nigerians Witnessed Recession During Jonathan’s Administration But Covered It Up - Rotimi Ameachi

Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi says during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Nigeria went into recession but was covered up by the government who preferred to call it cash-strapped.‎

Amaechi said this in an interview on the Osasu show:

“People just pick up words without knowing what words mean. Even under Goodluck we went into recession. I am one of those who participated in the budget.

We looked at what happened in the past and we discovered that actually if recession means three times, we have done more than the three times before we came in.

The difference is that while our government is transparent and open, we are able to admit that, federal government was saying even to me as chairman of governor’s forum, ‘Amaechi, don’t say that again. If you remember as Governor, I said we’re broke.

The minister for finance came to my office in Abuja here and pleaded with me that I shouldn’t say it again. That if I said it, it would affect Nigeria in terms of investment that investors will run away. That I shouldn’t say we are broke.

I should say we are cashed strapped. That was what Ngozi Okonjo Iweala told me. So I knew as chairman of Governor’s forum, that we had gone into recession under Goodluck. I knew as chairman of governor’s forum.

And when I open my mouth to say it, that we are broke, she spoke to me not to say it.”‎he said