Former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, gave a damning verdict against the current civilian administration.

To him, what Nigerians are going through today “is worse than what happened during military rule”.

Amaechi, who was Speaker (eight years) and Governor (eight years) of Rivers State, spoke in Lagos at the exaugural lecture and book launch of former Editor of The Punch, Dayo Oketola.

Venue was Muson Centre, Onikan.

Amaechi, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), contested for the presidential ticket of the party but lost to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He said: “You don’t call politicians to talk because they will spoil the occasion”.

Referring to previous statements made by some media professionals at the event recounting their experiences during military rule, Amaechi said: “I heard some journalists say ‘we lived in the trenches’. Which trenches? During the military regime? Is that time worse than now?”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the Special Guest Speaker at the event.