Site: Exclusivepp.com.ng

Source:- http://www.exclusivepp.com.ng/lack-money-big-challenge-interstate-rail-projects-fg/

The Federal Government’s plan to connect all states of the federation by rail is being scuppered by money, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said.

He also stated that the government was working hard to meet the completion date for the Lagos-Ibadan railway project.

Amaechi stated these while responding to tweets by followers on his Twitter handle on Monday.

One of the minister’s followers asked him “if all the states in Nigeria will ever be connected by rail,” and the minister replied, “That’s our plan. However, money is a big issue.”

He explained to another Twitter follower that the plan of President Muhammadu Buhari was to take rail services to every state capital, but noted that the problem was to get money to carry out rail projects in all 36 states within the tenure of the President.

In October, Amaechi had stated that $36bn was being sought by the Federal Government to construct rail lines across the country.

Speaking as a guest during a radio programme in Abuja, the minister said, “When I spoke, I didn’t say the money ($36bn) was there. I was asked how much we would need to take rail transport to the various state capitals. I said that we would need about $36bn and that includes the two deep seaports that we want to construct, one in Bonny and the other in Warri.

“Don’t forget that all railway transport in Nigeria should terminate at the seaports and at the airports if you must do a modular kind of transportation. And even if you have the $36bn, this current government cannot spend all that money to construct railways. What we are saying is that that is the projection for the construction.”

Responding to another enquiry about the Lagos-Ibadan rail project on Monday, the minister stated that government was working hard to get the facility completed before the deadline.

A Twitter follower of the minister, Adebowale, had said, “Really praying for the railway from Lagos to Ibadan to meet your deadline of 2019. This will surely reduce the burden on Lagos infrastructure. (There is) nothing wrong with working in Lagos and living in Ibadan.”

In his response to the tweet, Amaechi said, “We are working hard to meet the completion date.”

Source:- http://www.exclusivepp.com.ng/lack-money-big-challenge-interstate-rail-projects-fg/