Federal Government Included And Defended The Inclusion Of Lagos-Calabar Rail In The 2016 Budget At The Senate- Senator Gbenga Ashafa

Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who chairs the Senate Committee on "Land Transportation," has debunked the assertion by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Chair of House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Abdulmunin Jibrin and other lawmakers that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Railway project was never included in the 2016 budget.

In a press statement below, the Senator made it clear that while the initial budget did not contain the project, his Committee later received an amended budget from the executive branch through the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who also defended the budget before his committee. He stated that the committee decided to allocate money to commence construction of the Lagos-Calabar rail in 2016. A counterpart funding is expected to be provided by the Chinese Export-Import Bank for the project.


Senator Gbenga Ashafa
See full text of Senator Ashafa's Press Statement below:


I have carefully followed the news items making the rounds in relation to the budget presented to the National Assembly and what was defended by the Ministry of Transport before the Senate Committee on Land Transport which I have the privilege of chairing.

The focal points of controversy seem to be the Lagos to Calabar railway modernisation projects and the completion of the Idu – Kaduna rail line.

I confirm that the Lagos to Calabar rail line was not in the original document that was presented to the National Assembly by the Executive. However subsequently at the budget defense session before the Senate Committee on Land Transport, the Hon. Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, did inform the committee of the omission of the Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation project and indeed sent a supplementary copy of the ministry's budget to the committee which contained the said project.

The minister noted that the amount needed for the counterpart funding for both the Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation projects was in the sum of 120 Billion Naira, being 60 Billion Naira per project.

While the committee did not completely agree with all the changes made in the subsequent document, being fully aware of the critical importance of the rail sector to the development of our dear country, distinguished members of the Senate Committee on Land transport keyed into the laudable (Lagos to Calabar, rail modernisation) project and found ways of appropriating funds for the project without exceeding the envelope provided for the ministry.

In so doing, the committee observed that the Lagos to Kano rail rehabilitation project had been allocated the sum of N52 Billion Naira as against the sum of 60 billion which the Hon. Minister requested as counterpart funding while no allocation whatsoever was made for the Lagos to Calabar rail line.

Hence, the sum of 54 billion Naira that was discovered by the Senate Committee on Land Transport to be floating in the budget of the Ministry of Transportation as presented by the Executive was injected into augmenting the funds needed for counterpart funding of both projects (Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar Rail modernisation), as at the time the committee defended its report before the senate committee on Appropriation. The Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation project was therefore included in the Senate Committee on Land Transports recommendation to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

With regard to the Idu to Kaduna rail completion, the Senate Committee on Land Transport did not interfere with what was provided for in the budget as sent by the executive, being approximately 18 Billion Naira hence I am equally surprised to read on the pages of the newspapers that the amount allocated to the said project was reduced by 8 Billion Naira.

While I would have preferred to wait till Tuesday April 12th 2016 when the National Assembly reconvenes in order to have the benefit of viewing the details of the budget that was conveyed to the executive as passed, I am compelled to place the facts in proper perspective as it relates to the activities of the Senate Committee on Land Transport.



Without prejudice to the considerations and powers of the Senate Committee on Appropriations with regard to the appropriations process, the foregoing is the true reflection of what transpired at the committee level with respect to the Land Transport sector of the Ministry of Transport.


Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East)
Senate Committee on Land Transport

However subsequently at the budget defense session
before the Senate Committee on Land Transport,
the Hon. Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi,
did inform the committee of the omission of the
Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation project and
indeed sent a supplementary copy of the
ministry's budget to the committee which
contained the said project.

tuniski:
Liars! Just publish the page and line item on lagos-calabar rail in any of The many budget versions !
Bunch of confused people.

tuniski:
Liars! Just publish the page and line item on lagos-calabar rail in any of The many budget versions !
Bunch of confused people.

In so doing, the committee observed that the Lagos to Kano rail rehabilitation project had been allocated the sum of N52 Billion Naira as against the sum of 60 billion which the Hon. Minister requested as counterpart funding while no allocation whatsoever was made for the Lagos to Calabar rail line.

Hence, the sum of 54 billion Naira that was
discovered by the Senate Committee on Land
Transport to be floating in the budget of the
Ministry of Transportation as presented by the
Executive was injected into augmenting the funds
needed for counterpart funding of both projects
(Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar Rail
modernisation), as at the time the committee
defended its report before the senate committee
on Appropriation.

The Lagos to Calabar rail
modernisation project was therefore included in
the Senate Committee on Land Transports
recommendation to the Senate Committee on
Appropriations.

cktheluckyman:


Don't mind the liars!! Just publish the document or show us video of Amaechii presenting it!! Shameless Tinubu boy

PassingShot:

Use your brain. It's a free gift from God.

This is the Land Transport Committee Chairman speaking.

Your cursed sinators from SS/SE are wicked and don't mind bringing suffering upon those who they claim they represent just to give a dog a bad name.

Read:

dtruth3:
Very simple, this is Tinubu's project.
The Pro-Sariki Senators who are in the majority discovered it, and they had no option but to throw it out.

dtruth3:
Very simple, this is Tinubu's project.
The Pro-Sariki Senators who are in the majority discovered it, and they had no option but to throw it out.

dtruth3:
Very simple, this is Tinubu's project.
The Pro-Sariki Senators who are in the majority discovered it, and they had no option but to throw it out.

PassingShot:

Use your brain. It's a free gift from God.

This is the Land Transport Committee Chairman speaking.

Your cursed sinators from SS/SE are wicked and don't mind bringing suffering upon those who they claim they represent just to give a dog a bad name.

Read:

omofunaab:


You should be ashamed of yourself for saying this.. .

tuniski:

Zombism is a disease that erodes discerning! And why should anyone questioning this yeye govt be a SS/SE,why? Anyway, it is even wise sef to have a differing political choice. Kini big deal a simple publication of the puts everything to rest but, like buhari's cert saga una prefer long talks. Pls get a detox!

TonyeBarcanista:
When did Amaechi add the Lagos-Calabar rail project? I still find it hard to believe.

TonyeBarcanista:
When did Amaechi add the Lagos-Calabar rail project? I still find it hard to believe.

modath:
Jibrin came on air & claimed 54bn was lying "idle" in ministry of aviation's budget of which as sharp guys who also looks after their own, "they" decided to add to complete Kano's!!!
54bn was floating "rudderlessly"? Reallllllyyyu Make I laugh, so a nor go cry!
54bn ooo, not 54k, mehn nobody need enslave southerners, we are doing a fantastic job of selling ourselves into slavery!!
Little wonder, our pipul full obodo oyinbo as ex slaves!!

bendovex:
This confirms what Jibrin said, that the Lagos-Calabar rail was not captured in the main budget. However, a supplementary document from the ministry of transport was submitted to that effect by the minister of transportation during his ministry's budget defense, which was later sent to the Senate committee on appropriation for proper appropriation.
But the lying government would want us to believe that Lagos-Calabar rail was captured in the original budget, useless government!
what a shame!

dtruth3:
Epainam

TonyeBarcanista:
When did Amaechi add the Lagos-Calabar rail project? I still find it hard to believe.

PassingShot:

Keep quiet!
The Committee Chairman has laid everything bare and you're still asking a very very silly question!

Look at the person lecturing on what youths should do to assume mantle of leadership!

It sucks to be you.

cktheluckyman:


Senator Ashafa should show us eveidence and stop speaking in parables!! Besides since he was a member of the appropriation commitee what did he do when the rail lines was removed? What did other SW APC senators do too? This project would even benefit the SW more than the SS/SE

PassingShot:

Keep quiet!
The Committee Chairman has laid everything bare and you're still asking a very very silly question!

Look at the person lecturing on what youths should do to assume mantle of leadership!

It sucks to be you.