NASS Probe May Foil Process Of Getting Chinese Loan For Rail Projects- Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that the Probe currently ongoing at the National Assembly may foil the harmony already existent between China and Nigeria in financing the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail project.


The Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that the Probe currently ongoing at the National Assembly may foil the harmony already existent between China and Nigeria in financing the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail project.

He said,

“So, if tomorrow we are unable to construct Port Harcourt to Maiduguri railway because we didn’t get the loan, it is because of the investigation by NASS.

“I told the National Assembly that they can investigate but they should allow us get the loan first.

“If they stop the work from Ibadan to Kano, it is because of the investigations, same with Lagos to Calabar railway.

“If you think there is corruption, investigate corruption. What we are saying is that we should conclude negotiation first because there is pressure affecting the Chinese government in which they are talking to us directly.

“So, for me, what is primary here should be national interest.

“We have the approval to construct the Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail lines; we are also at the point of negotiating for the loans.

“Summoning us to the National Assembly to come and address the loans would look like the government is no longer interested in the loan,’’

He further stated that the Chinese Loan contrary to speculation and rumors is not been paid to directly to the Nigerian Government for the execution of the projects profit generated from the train service would be used via a different type of account which will be opened.

"One Good thing about the loan we are collecting is, it's not paid to us but directly to contractors who execute the projects."
He said.

Amaechi reassured that the Ministry was set to address the issue by executing the 195 million dollars contract which will help solve the bugging issue of increasing insecurity on the waterways. He called on the the Federal Government to help tackle the issue of some companies using the insecurity in the country to make money.