Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has declared free transportation services for staff and management of the ministry.
Amaechi said the decision was to help ameliorate the challenges faced by the staff in the discharge of their civic duties.
The Minister stated this at an interactive session with staff and management of the ministry, Monday.
Amaechi said, “knowing the background I come from, I felt that you people are spending more money having to transport yourselves to work and I’m surprised that they are collecting money from you for those buses.”
Directing the Permanent Secretary to ensure the bus services are free of charge henceforth, he added, “We’ll increase the number of of staff buses, fuel and maintain them ourselves.”
Amaechi further assured that to improve on service delivery, training and retraining of staff personnel will be given top priority.
“We would devise a means of training and retraining our staff, be it locally or internationally; and it will be according to our resources,” he said.
Amaechi also directed the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to liaise with authorities of NYSC to post some doctors to the Ministry of Transportation in view of establishing a medical center for staff of the ministry.
“Let us get the NYSC to post to the ministry at least two doctors, so we can ascertain the cost of establishing a clinic for our staff. This will enable those who fall ill to get free treatment,” he said.
The Minister also noted that henceforth, provision of laptops for Engineers will be included in the ministry’s budget.
In her remarks, Minister for State, Transport, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki assured workers of smooth working relationship, stating that she would work together with Amaechi to improve on staff welfare.
“Whatever the Minister (Amaechi) had been doing I will follow suit, I will always be behind him and I will do my best to always ensure that we do what will promote staff welfare,” she said.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari said the essence of the interactive session was to have a better understanding with the Ministers.
He enjoined the staff to provide support to the Ministers to achieve the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
According to him, “the purpose of this interactive session is to have a better understanding with the Ministers. It is an opportunity for us to air our views and understand what they (Ministers) want us to do in this second term of Mr. President. It is our hope that as we gave our support to the Hon. Minister of Transportation during the first tenure, we’ll give even more this second term.”
–
PRESS RELEASE
Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, and second term Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has queried why the immediate past senator representing Rivers South-East, Sen. Magnus Abe has started showing early signs of apprehension for the forthcoming congresses of the APC in Rivers State.
The minister was reacting to a statement in which the former senator kicked against the holding of congresses of APC in Rivers State. In that statement, Abe resorted to name calling and uncouth language to describe the planned congresses announced by the Minister to his supporters.
It would be recalled that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had announced to his supporters during the reception in Abuja that followed his inauguration as a second term minister that they (supporters) should begin to prepare themselves for congresses as part of rebuilding and repositioning the party in Rivers State. However, a few days after, Sen. Abe, while addressing his supporters in Port Harcourt, in an inexplicable outburst of emotions, questioned why the minister should ask his supporters to go home and prepare for congresses.
However, in a swift reaction, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi expressed surprise that Abe would resort to unguarded language to express his indisposition and fear for congresses even when he (Amaechi) did not give date and time of congresses to his supporters.
“I addressed my supporters to go home and prepare for congresses, I didn’t give them any date and time, and those are the responsibility of the national secretariat.
“Senator Magnus Abe has no reason to be afraid of congress; he should tell his supporters to also prepare for congresses of the party in the State since he says he is very popular. A popular politician should be very happy anytime congress is on the table,” Amaechi declared.
The Minister declined to respond to sundry comments made by Abe in his statement saying such were obvious signs of frustration on the part of the former senator.
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Media Office
Abuja
25th Aug, 2019
