Transport Minister’s absence stalls Reps probe into Abuja–Kaduna train derailment

The House of Representatives on Tuesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, to appear before it over the recent derailment of an Abuja–Kaduna-bound train carrying 618 passengers.

Chairman of the House Committee on Land Transport, Hon. Blessing Onuh, issued the notice in Abuja, expressing grave concern over the Minister’s failure to attend its investigative hearing on the incident.

Expressing displeasure, Hon. Onuh said it was unacceptable for the Minister to “turn his back on Nigerians at a time they need him most.”

She said, “A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. We are on recess, but many of us cut our break and came all the way from Lagos because of this national tragedy, only for the Minister to snub the parliament.

“We take strong exception to this. Our brothers and sisters were endangered. This is not a joke. We are therefore suspending this meeting and mandating the Minister to appear in person within 48 hours.”

On his part, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Philip Agbese, declared that the Minister’s absence was proof of incompetence and disregard for the Nigerian people.

“This action clearly shows he is not competent to handle the job entrusted to him by the President. It is a dangerous signal that he does not care about the lives of Nigerians or the reputation of this government.

“The President has warned that no Minister or Agency head should ignore Parliament. This Minister has chosen contempt. If he fails to show up, Nigerians should know there is effectively no Minister of Transportation in this country.”

Also speaking, Hon. Cyril Hart lamented that Alkali, himself a former parliamentarian, chose to dishonour the House.

“Over 618 Nigerians could have died. This raises serious questions about the integrity of our rail infrastructure. For a former lawmaker to shun this committee when Nigerians need answers is a betrayal.

‘Even the Railway MD has a history of trying to join this Parliament, so he knows the respect due to it. We cannot allow anyone to toy with the lives of our people.”

To this end, the lawmakers unanimously resolved to suspend the investigative hearing until the Minister appears in person, warning that continued disregard would be reported directly to the President.

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