FG suspends $8b rail contract with Chinese firm
For alleged non-compliance with due process, the Federal Government has suspended the $8 billion rail contract awarded to a Chinese firm by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In its stead, government has opted to rehabilitate the existing old track and the project is expected to commence soon. The Western zone District Manager of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Folorunso Gbadamosi told reporters that the modernisation rail project of which $250 million advance payment has been made was described by Yar'Adua's Chief Economic Adviser Taminu Yakubu as illegal on the ground that the former Head of state did not present the project and its budget to the National Assembly before its take-off. The Presidential aide stated that it would be wrong for the present administration which prides itself in the rule of law to continue with such a project which was not duly ratified by the appropriate body. The suspended project was the first phase of the nation's 25-year railway modernisation project initiated by the Obasanjo administration to raise the speed of passenger trains to 120-150km/h. The railway line, which passes through eight state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory, was to be completed within 48 months. And to demonstrate government's commitment to revive the rail system, Gbadamosi disclosed that the Federal Government had procured 25 new locomotives to ply the existing old tracks of the corporation in the next six months.

Maybe its just me but I think this is a wrong move by the Yaradua govt. For so many years we have tried to 'rehabilitate' the old rails and it has never worked. Its sad to see that a move to mordernize our tracks has now been finally put to rest.

By the way, I heard the 250millionUSD advance payment is non refundable?
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/breaking_news/article01

Due process or lack of it is the excuse. The real reason is that money no dey again.

Mend war is coming to light. Very soon their will be no money to run Aso rock n roll.

Isn't this news months old?

Kobojunkie:

Isn't this news months old?

And what about it?
Don't you comment on topic posted some yrs back?

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

brainless project

safety of nigerians drivin in lagos-benin asaba-enugu-kaduna-abuja-ph-calabar should come first

thats how human being act

but then are they human?

recently one of the Governo nearly pass out in one of them roads

there was even once obj crew got stuck on one of them roads

hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmm

Hep us God, we need a functional rail way system in Nigeria, we can only resort to prayers.

Oh Nigeria. Nigeria. Nigeria. How many times did I call you?

Kobojunkie:

Isn't this news months old?

well, it was in yesterday's Guardian Newspaper. I guess they just finally decided to nail the idea.

sad

so what about the 250 Million Dollars paid upfront.

the reason for the suspension was not really on due process for approving the contract but for the advance $250 milion not passing through due pockets, it is understandable that the old executives that benefited from the contract has left the office and the new set of executive want to have their own share of the national cake
due process is directly proportional to due pockets

banjula:

the reason for the suspension was not really on due process for approving the contract but for the advance $250 milion not passing through due pockets, it is understandable that the old executives that benefited from the contract has left the office and the new set of executive want to have their own share of the national cake
due process is directly proportional to due pockets

But even if they wan chop money, they should allow the project to go on and alleviate the sufferings of the masses afterall, opportunity to chop money will still come. When the project is completed, they will have to license new rail companies as NRC alone cannot handle it. This will give them another opportunity to chop but at least, Nigerians will have a proper and safer means of transport.

As an aside, I know that this was one of the reasons OBJ concessioned the Nigerian Airways to Virgin. The deal was to give him ie Branson, the opportunity to invest in the rail line transport when it commences. Ironically, Obj signed the contract in 2007, and it was supposed to last 48 months for the 1st phase. By now, we should be seeing standard guages being built all around the Lagos - Kano line. It would have employed tens of thousand of Nigerians (unskilled and skilled) but these people have decided to just buy locomotives (which I can assure you will be old and probably used from India or even China). History has shown that this will never work. IBB, ABACHA and even OBJ in his 1st term, tried this but it didn't work.

when other developing countries are planning and working on how to move the hands of time forward in term of development in all economical facets, the Nigeria corrupt leaders were busy pulling us back just because of what they will eat not minding the welfare of the masses, why would somebody with his right senses think of buying relegated old locomotives which has been abandoned in the early seventies for a nation who claimed to be giant of Africa.

Corruption!!!

this is about 13years since Gen Abacha brought in the Chinese instead of the Japs. why cant simple things get done here? this whole contraption needs to be overhauled! meanwhile money has changed hands already. this is a badd signal for vision 2020 as we cant be the 100th nation sef at this going rate

At least cant one thing just work in this country?

[color=#006600][/color] Bad news indeed

Well, anything they need to do let them be doing it, not just saying it.

These guys are jerks, are we getting back the upfront payment?,

and why should that project be on lagos-kano

does the feasiblity study include all the econcomic-revenue generator in nigeria

[size=20pt]if yes then lagos-kano= fraud[/size]

oduduwa should u wonder when u see MEND or Biafara agaitating, u look at them like they are mad ?? abi

NIgerIA with some trait

NIgerIA Is A jOkE

Even if they build working rails , what will they do about armed robbers storming those box cages?
(in the middle of no where, you cant drive off or run into the bush).

Its just the usual contract scam but repairing the roads will be better.
(none will be done anyway )

hackeny

dnt mind them

come to whiteman country and see how things are done

if they gona embark on road network, that might take like 4 yrs

small small, they go de do am

but in naija, na so they go paint road with tar-crude without gravel in the name of roads awarded by fg

tomorrow na so pot-belly hole everywhere

oduduwa, this is nigeria, be real plz, drop that trait plzzzzzzzz

its not healthy; national assembley where una dey self

if like nigeria talkin about send a man to the moon, when at night the only lumination in the air is the moon itself

The Railways project should be handed to the Canadians. The chinese and Indian guys will not provide the kind of modern infrastructure we need. Canada is a country with an advanced rail system and the Canadian government is good at partnering with developing nations to upgrade their infrastructure. I don't understand why our leaders always love to collaborate with Asian nations who dont really add value to our infrastructure. Lets call in the Canadians

the canadian modern rail infrastructure will require constant electricity to operate ,remember?

I no fit laugh abeg.

get the indians in for steam engines.
at least enugu can supply the ancient coal.

i go die o!!

well that rail way will never happen in the next 20 yrs

crazy Nigerians. When Obasanjo started this project, all of these people now commenting here cried wolf, they said it was a blatant waste of money, they said it wasnt necessary and it should be stopped. Surprisingly, it has now been stopped but look at the same people now singing a different tune. When will God replace the brains of Nigerians with something better than mucus?

this is old news the project has unsuspended its self

Nigeria: one step forward, 2 steps backward.

crazy Nigerians. When Obasanjo started this project, all of these people now commenting here cried wolf, they said it was a blatant waste of money, they said it wasnt necessary and it should be stopped. Surprisingly, it has now been stopped but look at the same people now singing a different tune. When will God replace the brains of Nigerians with something better than mucus?

who are the people

oduduwa abi ! no way; we know, trust

Chai, I tire for this ghetto we call 9ja, every blessed day for "Network News" na so so billion billion we dey hear, but nothing to show for it. And most of all I hate Chinese. Now that their country is over-populated they are looking for countries like Nigeria that can't do anything on their own to serve as new grounds for them to exploit. God pass them.
[B] ABULE LAWA IN THE GHETTO. [/B]

Hanoobaba:

Chai, I tire for this ghetto we call 9ja, every blessed day for "Network News" na so so billion billion we dey hear, but nothing to show for it. And most of all I hate Chinese. Now that their country is over-populated they are looking for countries like Nigeria that can't do anything on their own to serve as new grounds for them to exploit. God pass them.
[B] ABULE LAWA IN THE GHETTO. [/B]

Ol boy na wa o.my uncle wey just loose him job come get new born baby,nearly faint when hin dey watch N.T.A news for night.The guy hear billion,billion,billion up to 5 times in the space of 3 minutes.The guy nearly collapse.wetin we come dey hear na "I just need only 200,000 naira and na billion them dey call so".