President Muhammadu Buhari
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
THE Presidency has denied that the Federal Government is constructing rail line to link Kano, Dutse, Katsina and Maradi in Niger Republic.
Recall that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, said, that the council gave the approval at the meeting.
The Minister had said, “The second one (approval) is the award of contract for the development of the proposed Kano-Katsina-Jibia to Matadi rail line in Niger Republic and to Dutse, the capital of Jigawa, for a total cost of $1,959,744,723.71, inclusive of 7.5% VAT.”
But the Presidency said the rail construction will only get to a designated point at the border.
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The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in a tweet on his personal handle, @GarShehu, on Thursday, said the agreement was reached between Nigeria and Niger in 2015 for the Kano-Katsina-Maradi Corridor Master Plan (K2M).
He said both nations agreed to build a rail line to the “border town of Maradi.”
Maradi is the second-largest city in Niger Republic and the administrative centre of Maradi Region and also the seat of the Maradi Department.
The presidential spokesman said in the series of Tweet: “Nigeria isn’t building rail line into Niger but, only to the designated Border point.
“An agreement between Nigeria and Niger in 2015, coordinated by the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation has a plan for “Kano-Katsina-Maradi Corridor Master Plan, (K2M)” as it is called.
“Going by this, the two nations would each build a rail track to meet at the border town of Maradi.
“Nigerian delegates to that meeting comprised officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Boundaries Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources as well as those of Kano & Katsina states.
“The objective of the rail is the harnessing of raw materials, mineral resources and agricultural produce.
“When completed, it will serve domestic industries and play the role of a viable transportation backbone to the West African subregion, starting with the neighbouring Niger Republic for their export and import logistic chain.”
