$5.8bn loan: S-East states included in rail projects—
Amaechi
ON June 9, 2017 8:42 AM / IN News, Politics /
BY Okogba /


ABUJA— Minister of Transportation, Chibuike
Amaechi, yesterday, debunked the allegation of non-
inclusion of South-East states in the rail line projects
of the railway networks across the country for which
$5.8 billion loan is being sought from China.



Amaechi, who spoke during the hearing organised by
the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign debts
also explained the technicalities of the rail-line
project before the loan request from the China Exim
Bank can get the approval of the lawmakers.


The minister further explained that former presidents
Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan had
already applied for the loan while the present
administration wants to implement it.


According to the minister, “I do not know where the
information that the South East States were excluded
in the rail projects is coming from.”


Amaechi also explained that the two major rail
projects of the Federal Government are the coastal
rail project, which is from Lagos to Calabar traversing
Lagos-Ore-Benin City-Sapele-Warri-Yenegoa with
sidings to Otuoke, Port Harcourt, Aba, Uyo, Calabar
and branch line from Benin-City, Abudu, Onitsha
including Onitsha rail bridge.


He said: “There is the Lagos-Kano rail project, which
traverses Lagos-Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osogbo, Ilorin,
Jebba, Minna, Kaduna, Zaria, Kano with branch line
from Minna and Abuja and Abuja/Kaduna.
“There is also the coastal rail project from Lagos-
Calabar, which traverses Lagos-Sagamu-Ore-Benin
City-Sapele-Warri-Yenagoa.


“The coastal rail line already has its route alignment
passing through Aba in Abia State and Onitsha in
Anambra State, both of which are in the South East
geopolitical zone.”


The minister debunked the allegation of non-
inclusion of the South-East states against the
argument of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia
South) who resolved that the loan would not be
considered except all regions were carried along in
the utilisation of the loan.


He said: “The loan being a Federal Government loan
would be paid by all sections of the country.
Therefore, every section of the country should be
taken into consideration. For the railway project to
have meaningful impact on the development of the
country, it should cover all parts of the country.”
While agreeing with Abaribe’s argument that there
was no reason why the South-East should be
excluded from the rail project, since it would be part
of the repayment, Amaechi stated that it would be
wrong for anybody to say that the South-East states
were not included in the rail-line projects.


Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and
Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani told the minister
that he was invited to explain the technical details of
the rail-line project, which he said the Minister of
Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, could not answer due to
the technicalities involved.


Sani said the minister’s explanation would assist the
senate to take decision on the loan request.


www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/5-8bn-loan-s-east-states-included-rail-projects-amaechi/

Victim card by IPOB. Individual benefit from GEJ government but their region was drawn back. My boss is only IBO that honest to the situation they found themselves.