Over the years, if there is one thing I have been consistent at, it is advocating for the development of the Nigerian nation by the political class who are the ones, who in most cases, either by hook or crook get themselves into such offices. Hence we haven't had a people oriented leadership over these years largely.

The terrible quality of our electoral system has consistently deprived us of having political leaders who climb to the stage of leadership solely on the popularity of such candidates and their various manifesto.

Lately, many young South Eastern youths with gullible minds have been manipulated so meanly by the members of the political class, who choose not to use the resources entrusted into their care to develop the region, to believe that we should barely ask these politicians of their stewardship while we look onto the Federal government as the people that have so worked hard to prevent us from developing.

What an irony, considering the fact that most of the contracts in the South East are executed by Igbo people and the Governors.

Does it occur to you that the Eastern Railway corridor is non active for the longest of time I can remember when compared to what it has the capacity to deliver?

The Eastern rail route is the route that connects Port Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, Afikpo and Enugu from where it moves up North to Maidugri.

However, it is worthy to note that the rail line connecting Lagos and Ibadan is up and running effectively in terms of Nigerian standard just as we have it from Abuja to Kaduna.

While I would commend Senator Victor Umeh of the Labour Party for calling the attention of the Senate President Chief Godswill Akpabio, to such a neglect, with the support of thirty one (31) Senators, we must have our Governors in the South East put pressure on the Federal government also to see to it that this project is executed perfectly.

Senator Hope Uzodimma and Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo must also endeavour to do what they would have to do to get these rail lines to cut through their various States in the interest of their citizens.

Most annoying in this whole conversation is that the Port Harcourt - Maidugri gauge that is being fixed which cuts through the South Eastern States of Nigeria, is a narrow gauge as opposed to the Standard gauge which is what we should be talking about at a time like this.

Often times I wonder if we are retrogressing or growing.

The benefits of rail transport are acutely enormous and we must be deliberate about demanding that our leaders makes these infrastructure available for us the masses, as it would always boost trade and commerce while also making sure that goods and services are moved from a point to another seamlessly as this would help integrate us further as a people seamlessly.

A Senior friend of mine who is widely travelled, who also is a Professor told me so much about rail transport in Europe, such that I got soo emotional at why we can't still boast of basic train services here in Nigeria, before we can even talk about speed trains.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must as a matter of urgency make this mode of transportation functional while the South Eastern Governors must make sure that they support the Federal government on the development and rehabilitation of the narrow gauge rail line since having the standard guage seems like asking for too much and most importantly, make sure that the rail tracks in their states are protected from theft and vandalism.

We the citizens must ensure that we hold the political class accountable. Moreso whenever they deliver on worthwhile projects, we should always be here to smartly applaud them.

Attached herein is Nigerian railway corridors.

Okeh, Onyekachi is a public commentator on Community Development and a Medical Laboratory Scientist by training.

Anyone caught stealing the railway lines should be sentenced to death.

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