HONOUR TO WHOM IT IS DUE: As President Buhari Flags Off Abuja-Kaduna Railway Project

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🚆 The Modernisation programme commenced in 2006, with the signing of agreement between Nigeria and the CCECC for construction of a standard gauge Lagos-Kaduna line costing $8.3 billion,

🚆 This was a part of a total repackage for the upgrade of the entire rail system to standardise gauge over a 25- year period.

🚆 The project include the Port Harcourt-Kano line and an additional one, Lagos-Calabar line (East-West) line.

🚆 The counterpart funding was faulty on the part of Nigeria, while it contravened the law.

🚆 The government of late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua discovered that the contract did not follow due process and that the project was inflated.

🚆 Late President Yar’Adua visited china, re-negotiated and re-scoped the entire project. Partners agreed to first, get the services back and then construct standard gauge lines.

🚆 The project was segmented. The completion date of rehabilitation of Lagos-Kano and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri lines was set for December 2011.

🚆 Rehabilitation work started while a Chinese delegation came to Nigeria to commence on-site assessment and preparatory work on first phase of the now segmented standard gauge Abuja-Kaduna line in July 2008 and to finalise it in 2009.

🚆 Contract for the Abuja-Kaduna standard rail project was awarded in 2010 but the actual construction did not start till 2011. It is an 874 million dollar project with the Exim Bank of China’s facility of $500 million, while Nigeria was to pay the rest. The Project was scheduled for completion in 2014.

BETRAYAL NUMBER 1
🚆 But Jonathan’s administration reneged on counterpart funding of the project, leading to extension of completion period. Typical!

🚆 It was typical of the Jonathan’s government. Almost all capital projects inherited by the administration were not adequately funded in spite of their strategic importance to the economic growth of the nation, and in spite of the large amount of monies Nigeria made from the high price of crude oil throughout his regime.

🚆 Jonathan did not initiate the project, nor did he complete it. He indeed, inherited it and had the opportunity of completion to take the glory, he blew the opportunity. Big Time

ENTER PRESIDENT BUHARI AND HIS HON. ROTIMI AMAECHI!!
🚆 When Pres. Buhari came in 2015, there were outstanding payments which stalled the project. Pres. Buhari paid off Nigeria's outstanding part of the counterpart funding and work commenced.
Today, it's completed due largely to the seriousness Pres. Buhari attached to it.

BETRAYAL NUMBER 2
🚆 The Second phase of betrayal of terms of agreement befell the Rail Modernisation project, Lagos-Ibadan dual track standard gauge line.

🚆 The contract was awarded in 2012 and to be completed in 2015. Federal Executive Council on July 18th, 2012 approved the sum of $1.457 billion as the project contract sum on 36 months completion period.

🚆 The project was abandoned by Ex-President Jonathan after $13 billion appropriated in the 2012-2013 and 2014 budget with nothing to show for the sums.😡😡😡😡

🚆 Yet again, the Pres.Buhari administration came to the rescue. On July 02 2016, the government renegotiated and agreed on the commencement of the project and that of the East-West line (Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar) at a reduced sum of $11.117. $800 million was saved for the country. 👏👏👏👏

🚆 Now Pres. Buhari will also take the glory, two years from now,  when the Lagos-Ibadan project would have been completed.

It is not for wailing wailers to weep, it is for them to realise that Jonathan and his more than forty thieves, bungled available opportunities to complete the projects and take the credit.
These are verifiable facts. Thanks for reading thus far.
God bless Nigeria.
God bless us, Everyone.
Lauretta Onochie.

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