President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Federal Executive Council came under heavy criticism for the approval of 248-km rail to link Kano, Katsina, Jigawa states to Maradi, Niger Republic at the cost of $1,959,744,723.71.
The approval was given at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by the President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Peoples Democratic Party’ (PDP) in its reaction after the announcement described the approval as misplacement of priority, wonder how a nation with numerous intractable challenges be interested in aiding another country’s development than its own.
Speaking on the development immediately after the Executive Council meeting, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi said the approval for the development of the proposed rail line linking Kano-Dutse-Katsina-Jibia and to Maradi in Niger Republic was inclusive of Value Added Tax.
According to him, the rail line was designed to connect three Northern states – Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states – as well as seven senatorial districts, adding that the 248-kilometre line is expected to aid the transportation of crude oil.
Moreso, PDP lamented that the nation was bedevilled with insecurity, harsh economic condition owing to hike in electricity and fuel tariff.
Reacting further, the PDP National Publicity Secretary said: “The problem of this regime is that it has never got its priorities right and at the end of the day, Nigerians are the ones who suffer from these poor choices by these people.
He insisted that the project has no economic benefit to Nigeria, hence, the nation should not continue to waste resources.
Furthermore, Malachy Ugwummadu, former President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, described the development as a waste of resources and misplacement of priority.
Ugwummadu stressed Buhari’s government was so insensitive to the looming strike as a result of its bad policies.
He disclosed that the organised labour and the Civil Society will be embarking on strike moments from now as a response to their illegal and obnoxious increases in the prices of petroleum commodities, the hike in electricity tariff and VAT, all within the devastating COVID-19 period.”
Deji Adeyanju, convener of the Concerned Nigerians Group maintained his own perspective that the approval of rail construction was an attempt to loot the nation’s resources.
He asked: “What is the Kaduna-Abuja rail project generating? Imagine we take a loan from China to construct rail line that passes through Katsina State to another country; for what purpose?
“Lagos that has been battling gridlock for many years. Imagine what would happen if there is an intra-city rail. You can imagine its impact and monthly billions it will generate.”
