Senate Invites Amaechi Over Eastern Rail Line

Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, has been summoned by the Senate joint committee on Land Transport and Local and Foreign Debts over alleged exclusion of eastern rail lines.

The Minister was summoned to give explanation on why the eastern rail corridor, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, was allegedly not included in the scheme of rail expansion and modernization.

The invitation of the minister followed the adoption of a motion by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on alleged exclusion of the eastern rail corridor in the ongoing modernization of rails in the country.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, last year, asked the senate to disallow the a foreign loan for rail lines in the country due exclusion of eastern rail corridor in the rail expansion plan.

However, Amaechi had explained that the federal government had no intention of excluding the the South East area in the rail modernization scheme, adding that the government will include the corridor in it next years borrowing.

Ekweremadu said yesterday that the exclusion of the eastern corridor in the rail modernization scheme is not good for the country.

He noted that there must be fairness and equity in the distribution of projects for people to feel a sense belonging.

Ekweremadu said: “I want to bring to the notice of the Senate, the deliberate exclusion of the Eastern rail line in the ongoing construction/modernisation nationwide. This is not good for our country. It shows that some parts of the country are deliberately ignored.

“I must commend the efforts of the Federal Government in ensuring that rail lines are developed, but it is also unfair to exclude the Eastern part of the country. Our people will suffer as a result of this.”

Senator Shehu Sani, the chairman of Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, who, also share the same sentiment doubted the readiness of the federal government to see to the inclusion of eastern part in the rail development programme.

Sani said: “The motion raised by Ekweremadu is apt and right. The last time we had an interaction with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, he promised to include the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail line in the ongoing borrowing plans.

“It is now clear to us that there is no commitment to do that. That axis has a lot economic benefits to Nigeria. The withdrawal of General Electric is worrisome. Some of my colleagues in the committee appended their signature to the plan to construct Lagos to Kano rail line. But with this development, I am sure that they are regretting.”

Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, who also supported the motion, noted that General Electric, which ought to have handled the project, has not abandoned it.

“I am supporting this motion. But let me clarify that the axis given to General Electric has not been abandoned. General Electric will have its subsidiary handling that axis. My concern is that, General Electric is designed to renovate the narrow gauge and not to modernise. Let there be justice and fairness in this issue.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has given an express order that every state capital in Nigeria must have a rail line. Let the Senate work with the other side to ensure that the Eastern Line gets this project done,” he argued.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said that the issue of equity should be considered in the distribution of railway projects in the country.