– The Senate has adopted a resolution summoning Rotimi Amaechi to explain why the eastern section of the country’s rail lines was omitted from a proposed government rehabilitation plan
– Senator representing Anambra south, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who sponsored the motion says for the railway projects to have meaningful impact on the development of the country, it should be made to cover all parts of the country
– Deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, describes the omission as discriminatory
The Nigerian Senate has summoned minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to explain why the eastern section of the country’s rail lines was excluded from the proposed loan from the China Exim bank.
In April this year, President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the National Assembly, asked for approval to borrow $5.851 billion for the upgrade of various sections of the country’s railway.
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The resolution of the Senate on Tuesday, May 16, was a follow up to a motion sponsored by the senator representing Anambra south, Enyinnaya Abaribe, The Cable reports.
Senator Abaribe had noted that the required loan only covers the rehabilitation of a section of the country’s rail lines and that the eastern section of the country’s rail lines was omitted from the proposed loan.
“The eastern section of the rail segment, which has a link between the south-east to the north-eastern parts of the rail line is completely excluded from the request,” the legislator said.
“The loan being a federal government borrowing would be paid for by all sections of the country, therefore every section of the country should be taken into consideration.
“There is a railway master plan developed by the ministry of transport and of which such plans has not been referred to in the current borrowing plan.”
The senator stated that for the railway projects to have meaningful impact on the development of the country, it should be made to cover all parts.
Ike Ekweremadu describes the omission of eastern section of the country’s rail lines from the proposed government rehabilitation plan as discriminatory.
Abaribe said the exclusion of the eastern section that links the south-south, south-east, north-central and north-east to key cities such as Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Makurdi, Lafia, Gudi, Jos, Bauchi and Maiduguri is inexplicable.
Contributing to the debate, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, described the omission as discriminatory.
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“This is discrimination and should not be allowed to continue in this dispensation,” he said.
Speaking on the issue, Senate president Bukola Saraki said the leadership was already looking into the matter, adding that it is important for every part of the country to have standard gauge lines.
The senate adopted the motion after it was put to a voice vote by Saraki.
Amaechi is expected to appear before the senate committee on transport.
Meanwhile, Rotimi Amaechi has hailed the Goodluck Jonathan government for almost completing all the projects in his ministry.
Speaking at an Abuja Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, May 16, Amaechi commended the immediate past administration for embarking on massive projects that have been beneficial to Nigerians.
Amaechi said his ministry did not meet anything comatose on resumption of the current administration.
Watch this video brought to you by ZENITHBLOG.com and find out what traders are saying about the country:
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