“I Wore the Same Shirt and Trousers for Four Years” – Rotimi Amaechi Reflects on Humble Beginnings
Former Minister of Transportation and one-time Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has opened up about the challenges of his early years growing up in Port Harcourt.
In a candid interview with Daily Sun, Amaechi shared how poverty deeply shaped his childhood, revealing that he wore the same shirt and trousers for nearly four years due to financial hardship.
“We could hardly afford three meals a day, let alone new clothes,” he said. “Most people find it hard to believe when I say I wore the same outfit for years, but my classmates can testify to it.”
Now a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, Amaechi reflected on how his humble background impacted his social interactions, even joking about how some of his former classmates looked down on him. “I tell them at reunions, ‘One of you could’ve been Mrs. Amaechi,’” he said with a laugh.
Despite those early struggles, Amaechi’s story is one of resilience and determination. He went on to serve as a two-term Speaker, two-term Governor, two-term Minister, and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. He also emerged as the runner-up in the APC presidential primaries ahead of the 2023 elections.
“Men fight to be relevant,” he concluded. “As for me, I live as simply as life allows.”