By Ada Nkong
Members of the National Assembly (NASS)’s Land Transportation Committees’ paid a visit to Kaduna-Kano to inspect developments on railway modernisation project being carried out by Federal Ministry of Transportation under the supervision of the Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali, on Monday.
While commending the Ministry and the Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Land Transportation Sector for justifying the investment of the nation in the Sector, the members condemned the activities of Vandals just as the Minister allayed the fears of the NASS that the vandals of rail infrastructure will not continue to set the nation back with their relentless vandalism.
Senator Alkali revealed that the Ministry is taking meadures to protect the rail infrastructure whose clips and the slippers were being carted away by thieves almost on a daily basis.
Alkali said Apart from deploying security agencies , the Ministry has directed and supported its contractor on the Kaduna-Kano-Maradi rail corridor to deploy concrete formations rather than iron materials to make the rail lines which may cost more than the initially deployed infrastructure technology, but will certainly deter vandals.
Responding,Senator Adamu Ailero recommended for the Government to consider death penalty for any vandal that may be caught.
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Senator Adamu Ailero and the Chairman of the Senate Committee as well as Hon. Blessing Onuh who spoke on behalf of the legislators, expressed satisfaction at the developments and the progress achieved by Federal Ministry of Transportation and pledged legislative support for more budgetary fundings to ensure that the project meant to be completed in 2026 can be completed in 2025 and be put to good use.
The legislators in the team included Senator Adamu Ailero, Senator Udende Emmanuel, Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator Maidoki Garba, Honourable Blessing Onuh (Chairman), Honourable Cyril Hart (Member), Honourable Sani Yakubu (Member), Honourable Danladi Suleiman (Member), Ango Abubakar (Chief of Staff), Jokotoye Solomon (Clerk), Ali Tanko (Clerk), Sunday Adelani (Clerk) and Anigwe Simon Chukwuemeka (Clerk).
Earlier at the commencement of the inspection trip, the Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali disclosed that the inspection visit was to enable the law makers see firsthand and appreciate the developments and challenges involved in extending rail services to Kano and then to Maradi in Niger Republic.
The Minister emphasised the importance of carrying the law makers along, noting that the contractors involved in the project, Messrs CCECC and Mota Engil have not been able to source the loans to help the country to implement the railway modernization project at his Ministry’s desired pace. The bulk of the funding for the project, Alkali disclosed, is to come from China Development Bank. This funding constraints, he stated, necessitated that the government and his ministry rely on budgetary provisions to fund its counterpart requirement for the project.
However,Senator Alkali further disclosed that there has been progress on the loan negotiations with China. “President Bola Tinubu has mandated Vice-President Ibrahim Kashim to engage with President Xi Jinping of China…while the funding for Kaduna-Kano funding has been released, we are just trying to cascade the final stage for the drawdown of the loan to fund. That of Ibadan to Abuja is also under very serious engagement with the Chinese Government.
The inspection visit involved trip from Zawaciki (Kano State) to Markafi (Kaduna State) to inspect the track laying as well as track laying base – Beam Plant and Sleeper Production Workshop. There was also a brief presentation by CCECC for Project and Pending Issues which was done aboard the coach of the train which conveyed the inspection team of Legislators and Ministry’s officials.
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