By Akanimo Sampson
Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, has explained why he personally travelled to Niger Republic to beg the country to allow the Buhari administration to construct the $1.95billion railway from Kano State into Maradi in Niger Republic.
Amaechi who was speaking on a Channels television programme said the railway is expected to run from Kano to Dutse- Katsina through Jibia and to terminate at Maradi Niger Republic.
He said some critics of the railway project have even accused him of serving northern interests even though his wife is Igbo. “It is like the shout about Kano-Maradi rail. I said my wife is Igbo. She is not from Maradi. The worst is that they will say I am serving the interest of the North. Let’s assume that is the argument you will make.
‘’The worst I can do is stop at Jibia which is the border. To even get to Maradi, I had to travel to Niger Republic to even beg them. They are not bringing their money o. It is our money. But I’m begging them to allow me access into Maradi”, Amaechi said.
When asked why it was so important to extend the rail to Maradi, the minister explained that Niger Republic was a landlocked country and it has to export and import through intermediary countries.
‘’Due to insecurity and poor road infrastructure as well as extortion by security agents, Niger Republic and Chad prefer exporting and importing their goods through Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo’’, Amaechi said, arguing that the new rail will help Nigeria to compete and this will expand the economy.
Adding, the minister said, “why are they not exporting through Nigeria? They say o, your roads are bad. So, the railway takes care of that. They say Customs is difficult; Customs will impose charges that are not charged in Benin Republic.
“They say immigration does not allow them. Even when they pass all these, there are police checkpoints on the road, Customs checkpoints on the road, immigration checkpoints on the road. Then communities have their own checkpoints on the road, armed robbers attack them on the road. So, they prefer to go where it is safe and cheaper to do business.
“So, all we are saying is we come to Maradi, we build offices, we build a warehouse, you put your things in the warehouse, you deal with Customs at Maradi, deal with immigration at Maradi, deal with police, whatever you need to check.
“Once you put the goods on top of the wagon; it goes straight to Lagos. When it gets to Lagos, straight to the ship because the things you would do in Lagos, you would have done in Maradi.”
Amaechi also berated the National Assembly for obstructing the facilitation of Chinese loans due to the controversial sovereignty clause.
In July 2020, a House of Representatives panel had raised the alarm over clauses conceding Nigeria’s sovereignty to China in a loan agreement.
Amaechi is claiming that the unnecessary probe has stalled funding for the Ibadan-Kano railway project.
