Kaduna Train Attack: FG Should Stop Approving Funds For Trivialities – Ndume

Popular Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Ali Ndume has asked the Federal Government to approve funds for the security of lives and properties of its citizens and not approve funds for unnecessary projects.

Ndume was reacting to comments credited to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that a request for the procurement of digital security equipment for rail lines across the country was denied by his colleagues.

Amaechi said that the terror attack on a Kaduna-bound train on Monday could have been averted if the procurement of the equipment was approved.

In an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Ndume condemned the executive arm of the government for not approving the purchase of the said equipment.

The Senator representing Borno South said rather than the executive council approving money for security purposes, they are approving money for trivialities.

He added that the decision to decline approval for the procurement of the equipment shows that the federal government is complacent about the insecurity in the country.

Ndume said: “If you look at it deeply, there is a lot of complacency in it. You have the MTN services. These people are using phones so you can track them. With today’s technology, people are taken away and you say you don’t know where they are. No, I mean let’s be serious.

“Coming back to what the minister (Amaechi) said, I got angry too. I mean how can you put all these people — everyday, an average of 1,000 are moving around — and then the ministry will ask for money to buy gadgets and drones. These are mostly off-the-shelf items.

“You can order them or import them, install them immediately in two to three days. But you know what will happen in Nigeria next? They will go on TV and say we have purchased so and so and the bandits will watch it and they know where it is going to be installed.

“This system is terrible. People will frustrate this kind of process and you can see the minister was angry. That means there was a lot of frustration in the process of procurement and they are approving money for trivialities. Nonsense!”