BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Senator Shehu Sani has slammed Governor Nasir el-Rufai and the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi over what he described as deceit-ridden Kaduna Dry Port project set for commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District and former civil rights activist insists the Minister and Kaduna state Governor are playing pranks with claims to Mr President and Nigerians that the Port is the first-ever in the country.
Senator Sani said that contrary to such bogus assertion, dry ports already exist at Calabar, Funtua, Warri among other cities.
A statement issued in Abuja quoted the fiery government critic as saying; “It is a lie. There are dry ports in Calabar, Ibadan, Funtua and Kano but unattended to, unused or under-utilised”.
The APC Senator also said it is a scam for both the Minister and governor el-Rufai to aver that the Port is a new project whereas it was built by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration but only revamped by the Amaechi-led Ministry of Transportation.
According to him, despite all the attention-grabbing arrangements and media propaganda in some circles, “There is no modern standard dual rail line from Lagos to Kaduna to transport substantial cargo to Kaduna and Ibadan to Kaduna rail line is still a colonial gauge.”
The Lawmaker also noted that the deceit is more painful considering that “all the textiles and manufacturing industries in Kaduna have closed down and there is no manufactured goods to take out of Kaduna or to bring to Kaduna for industrial use.”
He further picked holes in the project conception by pointing out that Kaduna Abuja rail line is not even linked to the Kakuri site of the soon-to-be-commissioned Dry port.
For him, there is nothing cheering about the port project against that background that; “Morocco, Ethiopia and Other smaller African states are launching state-of-the-art high speed rail lines but Nigeria’s President is set to launch refurbished 10 Train couches imported from China”.
