The Minister of Transport, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday revealed that Nigerian elites are making money from insecurity in the country. The Transport Minister speaking on security arrangements for protection of rail line users on ARISE TV Morning Show said that nigerian elites make money from the insecurity ravaging the country in various sectors.
Amaechi, however, said that the Ministry of Transport set up the Blue Deep Sea security network to protect people doing business in the country’s waterways. He said that when criminals are eliminated from the waters, businesses would thrive, and more revenue would come to the federal government. The Minister explained that the persistent commitment of funds to security on Nigerian waters either through the NNPC or any other federal agency, the less the revenue generated by government.
Amaechi disclosed that in all rail lines across the country, all trains travel with sufficient police officers to repel any attack on the rail. The minister assured that it is safe to travel by rail across the country on any of the rail corridors which include Itakpa-Warri, Lagos-Ibadan, among others. He noted that reports that coaches are attacked on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line are false, adding that the coaches have adequate policemen to repel attacks by bandits.
The Transport Minister advocated that people who steal rail equipment should be prosecuted for manslaughter. He said that when rail equipment is removed at a particular location, citing the occurrence on Kogi State, the train gets to the location and will derail, this he said, will lead to death of many people on transit.
The Minister added that to forestall derailing of trains because of stealing of rail equipment, workers in the sector in various communities are assigned to monitor the rail line in their domain. He added that before the coach sets off on a journey, contacts are made with the workers who on confirming that the rail line is secure, the train commences the journey. He noted, however, that he is not responsible for national security.
The Minister disclosed that the Lagos-Ibadan rail line is funded with loan from China and the Kano-Maladi rail line is funded with loans from European Bank, which he said is still being processed.
He said that the Ministry will soon embark on nationwide reconstruction of narrow-gauge rail lines across the country.