Nigeria’s Minister, Amaechi Suffers Hairline Fracture, Spotted On Crutches

Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, was a cynosure of all eyes at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Airport in Katsina State, as the minister was spotted walking with a crutch.

BIGPEN understand that the development left many wondering about what happened to the minister.

According to trending pictures, Amaechi was in accompany of Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and Plateau State Governor, Solomon Lalong when he arrived at the airport with a clutch.

Amaechi alongside other top Government officials were in Katsina state for the commissioning of an Orphanage home and an Arabic School in Kaita Local Government Area of the state on Friday, January 15.

It was not clear why the minister was limping with the crutch, but a political ally of the minister, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, on Sunday said that the minister suffered a hairline fracture in the line of duty.

Eze, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State, in a statement released on Sunday, January 17, said Amaechi suffered a hairline fracture on December 31, 2020 and getting better, according to his doctors.

He dismissed comments linking the Minister’s use of a crutch to either hemiplegia scissors gait or planter fascitis adding that Amaechi is neither suffering from knee arthritis, nor lower motor neuron lesion, describing such assertions as unfathomable.

Chief Eze said that many Nigerians and people of goodwill have expressed very dreadful concerns seeing Minister Amaechi walk with crutches while on official duties and as a result, have flooded his cell phone lines trying to enquire the state of health of the Minister and why he is relying on a walking aid.

The party chief said that he was however prompted by public concern to engage the Minister, who confirmed the trending photos, Sunday morning and said he had a hairline fracture but assured he is getting pretty better.

Eze, quoted Amaechi as saying, “I had a hairline fracture on 31st December, 2020 but I have been working with it all these weeks before the public pictures showing me with crutches. Nobody should express any fear as my Doctors are on top of it”.

Eze, however, begged President Muhammadu Buhari “to prevail on Minister to take time off work to allow healing of fractured ankle”. He added that “Amaechi’s patriotism, commitment keeps him working” despite his leg injury.