Rail project should run through all 36 states, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the ongoing central rail projects to run through all 36 states of the federation.

Chibuike Amaechi, minister of transportation, said this during a meeting on Buhari’s $5.5 billion loan request.

Amaechi said the central rail project which runs through the northern and southern part of the country will be completed in June 2018.

As part of the project, Amaechi said 10 of the 17 coaches expected to be delivered in November, will be installed at the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, while the Itakpe-Warri rail line will receive seven coaches.

Buhari had earlier made the loan request, part of which was earmarked to finance deficit and capital projects in the 2017 budget.

Amaechi said a portion of the loan was reserved for servicing the existing projects in the Kano-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail networks.

Shehu Sani, chairman, senate committee on local and foreign debts, advised against taking loans indiscriminately, especially as the President did not disclose the terms and conditions of the credit facility.

Sani said: “The committee has the mandate to examine the merits and otherwise of the current loan request of $5.5 billion of the president.

“If we must bequeath to the future generation a pile of debt, it must be justified with commensurate infrastructural proof of the value of the debt.

“The payment plan of this debt will undoubtedly last the length of our lifetimes and possibly beyond.”