The Federal Government has accused the National Assembly of holding
back Nigeria’s infrastructural development by been antagonistic to the
Executive.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, stated this on Monday
while providing details of the rail project at the North Central
Town Hall meeting held in Ilorin for the people of Kogi, Niger and
Kwara states.
He accused the National Assembly of holding the Federal Government
back from fixing infrastructure problems and creating jobs by failing
to approve its borrowing plans especially the thirty billion dollars
loans it plan to secure from China.
According to him, if accessed, the loan will enable the government to
embark on the revitalization of rail projects which will create more
jobs for Nigerians.
He said the Federal Government has secured $7.5 billion loan for the
construction of standard rail gauge from Lagos to Kano.
The $7.5 billion is part of the $30 billion loan the federal
government seeks to take and for which it has sought approval from the
National Assembly.
According to him, the loan was secured from a Chinese bank and the
ministry is waiting for approval of the National Assembly to access
the loan.
He said that $1. 4 billion of the loan was for the construction of the
rail gauge from Lagos to Ibadan, while $6. 1 billion would be used on
Ibadan–Ilorin–Minna-Kaduna– Kano line.
The minister added that Kaura Namoda–Funtua rail line would also be revived.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians to impress it on the National Assembly
to approve the loan for work on the project to commence.
He added that the central rail project from Itakpe to Warri would be
completed before the end of 2017, while narrow gauge line from
Ilorin–Minna would also commence during the year.
Mr. Amaechi said plans were under way to connect Abuja to other parts
of the country through the central line at Warri, while the Jos Inland
Port would be completed in June, this year.
He said that a Lagos-Ijebu-Ode-Ore-Benin-Asaba-Agbor-Onisha-Sapele-Yenagoa-Port
Harcourt-Uyo and Calabar coastal rail line would be constructed.
He said that work on the Eastern rail flank linking Aba to Port
Harcourt, Makurdi, Enugu and Jos, would commence in June.
The minister said that Ekiti would be linked by rail through Osogbo
and would run to Ilorin, Minna and Kano.
He also said that the ministry had sought approval to purchase more
coaches and locomotives for the Abuja-Kaduna light rail.
He reiterated the determination of the Federal Government to
rehabilitate the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to him, the runway was built to last 20 years and has lasted
35 years and it is dangerous to allow planes to land there without
putting things in good shape.
Mr. Amaechi said the All Progressives Congress, APC, controlled
Federal Government did not promise to fix Nigeria’s problem within a
year.
He said that the people should wait till the end of four years before
they could assess the government.
“We did not promise you that those challenges will be solved in one
year; if we promised you that, you would have given us one year.
“You gave us your mandate for four years, so you have to wait till the
end of four years,” he said.
