Why is the 2019 rail budget plans not covering the North East?
The Senate screening of ministerial nominees have thrown up a lot of unanswered questions rather than what majority of Nigerians would want to hear from their would be ministers. This is borne out of the fact that a lot of them were ministers since 2015, or acted in higher capacity in the same government.
One of the critical infrastructure begin for attention is the dilapidated network of our roads. In a fit of despair, Senator Abbo (PDP Adamawa North) had to direct his frustration at Babatunde Raji Fashola, "why is the 2019 rail budget plans not covering the North East? Fashola was the erstwhile minister for power, works and housing (2015–2019). Which does not actually cover rail transport.
The distance between Abuja, the capital of Nigeria to Adamawa in the North East is 787.8 kms, a painful 12 hours journey by road. One would imagine the frustration of the Senator for the number of lives this long tedious road have caused. But the APC administration have not deemed as necessary to include the North East in their railway plans.
Although the question ought to have been directed at the ex minister of transportation, Chibuke Amechi (2015–2019). But it was still quite pertinent to bring it up at the Senate.
Remember the Senator Abbo is a young rookie, who is coming to the Senate for the first time. He has recently gained notoriety after a video caught him slapping a lady at sex toy shop.
The country's rail system consists of 3,505 km gauge lines and 507 km of standard gauge lines.The only Northern States connected to railway are Kaduna and Kano States. Colonial railway lines had reached Nguru, in Yobe State and Borno States. Other lines passed through, Kuru in Plateau, Bauchi and stopped at Gombe. But all those installations were abandoned by successive governments.
Another critical area of concern to Nigerians is the power sector. The APC government has put up it's best brain to administer the sector but after four years people were shocked, especially as the president himself scored the government low on that area.
President Muhammadu Buhari admitted that the performance of his administration in the power sector was “not good enough”, saying that this called for more efforts by Electricity Distribution Companies to provide the needed resources and technical expertise. He emphatically said that the Federal Government would play its own part by improving the transmission of electricity.
Buhari stated this when the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’ Edo Ewuare II, led members of the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and chiefs on a visit to the President at the Presidential Villa, early in July, 2019.
This particular "own goal" agitated citizens to start asking questions. And the best place was to begin at the ministerial screening at the Senate. Unfortunately, these and several other gnawing questions were blocked from being asked, or even answered by the man in charge of keeping us in darkness – Babatunde Raji Fashola, former super minister for power, works and housing.
Fashola's effort was largely ineffective because of the enormity and years of neglect in the three sectors of power, works and housing. It will be meaningful and exigent for the government to unbundled the ministry and appoint ministers for each sector for speedy dispensing of essential infrastructure.
Senator Abbo wearing a fez cap
One of the critical infrastructure begin for attention is the dilapidated network of our roads. In a fit of despair, Senator Abbo (PDP Adamawa North) had to direct his frustration at Babatunde Raji Fashola, "why is the 2019 rail budget plans not covering the North East? Fashola was the erstwhile minister for power, works and housing (2015–2019). Which does not actually cover rail transport.
The distance between Abuja, the capital of Nigeria to Adamawa in the North East is 787.8 kms, a painful 12 hours journey by road. One would imagine the frustration of the Senator for the number of lives this long tedious road have caused. But the APC administration have not deemed as necessary to include the North East in their railway plans.
Although the question ought to have been directed at the ex minister of transportation, Chibuke Amechi (2015–2019). But it was still quite pertinent to bring it up at the Senate.
Remember the Senator Abbo is a young rookie, who is coming to the Senate for the first time. He has recently gained notoriety after a video caught him slapping a lady at sex toy shop.
The country's rail system consists of 3,505 km gauge lines and 507 km of standard gauge lines.The only Northern States connected to railway are Kaduna and Kano States. Colonial railway lines had reached Nguru, in Yobe State and Borno States. Other lines passed through, Kuru in Plateau, Bauchi and stopped at Gombe. But all those installations were abandoned by successive governments.
Another critical area of concern to Nigerians is the power sector. The APC government has put up it's best brain to administer the sector but after four years people were shocked, especially as the president himself scored the government low on that area.
President Muhammadu Buhari admitted that the performance of his administration in the power sector was “not good enough”, saying that this called for more efforts by Electricity Distribution Companies to provide the needed resources and technical expertise. He emphatically said that the Federal Government would play its own part by improving the transmission of electricity.
Buhari stated this when the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’ Edo Ewuare II, led members of the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and chiefs on a visit to the President at the Presidential Villa, early in July, 2019.
This particular "own goal" agitated citizens to start asking questions. And the best place was to begin at the ministerial screening at the Senate. Unfortunately, these and several other gnawing questions were blocked from being asked, or even answered by the man in charge of keeping us in darkness – Babatunde Raji Fashola, former super minister for power, works and housing.
Fashola's effort was largely ineffective because of the enormity and years of neglect in the three sectors of power, works and housing. It will be meaningful and exigent for the government to unbundled the ministry and appoint ministers for each sector for speedy dispensing of essential infrastructure.
Comments
Post a Comment