The Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi
has incurred the wrath of the Joint Committee on Land and Marine Transportation
on Thursday at a budget defence in Abuja for what they called discrimination in
rail construction.
The lawmakers accused the Minister of constructing a
standard narrow gauge for the Kano-Maradi Rail line to the neighbouring Niger
while constructing an old narrow gauge for other parts of Nigeria.
They protested seriously that the budget approvals which the
Ministry has enjoyed so far were for equal and national development, asking why
other parts of the country were not equally treated.
Amaechi and other heads of agencies and parastatals under
the transport Ministry appeared before the Joint Committee for the 2022 budget
defence.
Reacting, the Minister said: “The construction of Kaduna
-Kano railways to link up the Abuja-Kaduna rail line has commenced. Survey and
Design for Ibadan -Minna – Abuja is ongoing.
“Construction of the 284 kilometres Nigeria. -Maradi (Niger
Republic) standard gauge, rail line enabling interconnectivity with countries
in the West Africa sub-region for the promotion of trade and commerce.
“This important contribution by Nigeria would be mutually
beneficial by adding to the economic growth of the two countries.”
Chairman of Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator
Danjuma Goje and House Committee Chairman, Pat Azadu kicked against the
marginalization of other regions of the country in the construction rail line.
Goje, while querying the Minister expressed his
discontentment over discrimination in railway construction, noting that giving
Kano-Maradi modern rail lines and constructing old rail lines to other regions
was unacceptable for any reason.
The Chairman Committee on Port, Pat Asadu who opened the
floor after the Minister presented its budget to the Committee asked why the
construction of modern rail lines for one place and constructing old rail lines
to other parts of the country.
He queried, “Why won’t you construct narrow-gauge across the
country so that we can develop equally. I can’t sit down and approve this.
These are done with such impunity, my heart bleeds. This had been reoccurring.”
The Senate Committee Chairman on Marine Transport supported
the observation of Hon. Asadu.
He asked, “why you will give us an old rail line and
spending a lot of money to standard gauge to Maradi”
According to him, I completely concur with the statement of
Honorable member in the House of Representatives.
Ameachi while responding to the issue raised by the
Committee said that the difference between the narrow gauge and standard gauge
is speed adding that the country may not get the money to standard gauge across
the country.
He said that the negotiation for a loan for the construction
of the Kano-Maradi standard gauge line is about to be completed.
He also clarified that his ministry was yet to get money for
Kano-Kaduna, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway projects. “The only money we have
gotten is $1.4bn for the Lagos-Ibadan rail project,” he said.
On the economic justification for constructing the $1. 3bn
Kano-Maradi rail, Ameachi said the project was not based on sentiments but on
economic benefits for the country.
He said on completion of the Kano-Maradi and Kano to Lagos
railway, all national cargoes from the Niger Republic, like uranium and gold,
would be moved through the Nigerian seaport from that corridor.
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