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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Minister Tackles Senate About Lagos-calabar Rail - The Nation (454 Views)
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Minister Tackles Senate About Lagos-calabar Rail - The Nation by shaddoww: 7:46am On Apr 13, 2016 |
Udoma insists projects in budget
Senate to Presidency: send extra request
There seems to be no end to the bitter row
over the budget.
Budget and National Planning Minister Udo
Udoma yesterday said members of the
Federal Executive Council were still studying
the details to guide President Muhammadu
Buhari to sign it into law.
He also said the Lagos – Kano and Calabar –
Lagos rail lines are projects in the budget,
adding that a N60billion provision in the
counterpart funding to support the Chinese
financing of the projects.
He cleared Minister of Transportation Rotimi
Amaechi of any wrongdoing and stressed that
there was no going back on the two priority
projects.
But senators, after a “noisy” closed session,
said there should be no controversy over the
projects since the Presidency can send a
supplementary budget to accommodate them.
Udoma, in a statement through his Special
Adviser on Media, Mr. Akpandem James, said
the amended Ministry of Transportation
budget was accepted by the relevant
committees and that was the version
defended by the Minister of Transportation
and his team.
The statement said: “In view of the recent
controversies surrounding the 2016 budget, it
has become necessary to state the following
so as to set the facts straight: The details of
the 2016 budget were received by the
President on Thursday, April 7, 2016.
“Immediately this was received the President,
desirous of signing the document into law as
soon as possible, directed that copies should
be made available to heads of the various
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
of the Federal Government.
“Ministers were asked to go through the
details and give their reactions as it affects
their respective ministries so as to guide the
President and enable him sign the
Appropriation Bill into law.
“That process is still ongoing and no
statement has been issued by the Executive
on the matter, apart from the one by the
Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai
Mohamnmed, to confirm that details of the
budget are being examined. No final decision
has been taken by the President and no other
statement whatsoever has been issued on the
matter.”
The Executive will not go back on the Lagos –
Kano and the Calabar – Lagos rail line
projects, said Udoma, which were included in
the budget because they are dear to the
administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari.
He said the amended Ministry of
Transportation budget was accepted by the
relevant committees and that was the version
defended by the Minister and his team.
He added: “With reference to the specific
issue of the Calabar– Lagos rail project, we
will like to state that the two railway projects,
Lagos – Kano and the Calabar – Lagos, are
very important projects of the present
administration; and it was always the intention
of the Executive to have both projects
reflected in the budget submitted to the
National Assembly.
“However, it will be recalled that the Budget
Office made a number of errors in the initial
proposals of a number of ministries. These
errors were all corrected by the Ministry of
Budget and National Planning and the
corrected versions were submitted to the
relevant committees of the National
Assembly. This included that of the Ministry
of Transportation.
“The amended Ministry of Transportation
budget was accepted by the relevant
committees and that was the version
defended by the Minister of Transportation
and his team.
“It must be emphasised that the two rail
projects are part of those for which the
President is currently negotiating funding with
the Chinese government.
“The N60b provided in the budget for the
Lagos – Kano and Calabar – Lagos rail lines,
respectively, is counterpart funding, to support
the Chinese financing for the projects.
“These projects are part of the Strategic
Implementation Plan of the government which
was disclosed by the Minister of Budget and
National Planning at the National Economic
Council Retreat in March 2016, in the
presence of state governors.
“They were also mentioned by the Vice
President last week in Lagos at The Nation
Newspaper’s First National Economic Forum.
“It is hoped that with this clarification, the
raging controversy over the Calabar – Lagos
rail project will be put to rest.” thenationonlineng.net/minister-tackles-senate-lagos-calabar-rail/ |
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