Following the outcry by local contractors in the railway industry that the Federal Government has refused to consider indigenous companies for contracts in the ongoing revitalisation of the rail sector in Nigeria, the Minister of Transportation, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, has explained that local contractors lack the capacity to handle railway construction in the country.
Speaking at the weekend in Lagos, Amaechi said: “it is good for us to buy and equip ourselves with made in Nigeria goods, by so doing, it will support Nigerian producers, that’s the only way our economy will become productive.
“I am among those who will want to support Nigerian Engineers and Contractors, we have tried it in the consulting engineers’ sector, we asked for five (5) years experience and they take photographs of other people’s work and attached it, so they are not qualified,” he stated.
Amaechi further explained that going by the requirements of companies that have acquired experience in consultancy over the past five years, “the only TEAM will qualify because Lagos-Ibadan rail project TEAM supervised.
“Abuja-Kaduna rail project, TEAM supervised and Warri-Itakpe rail project TEAM also supervised, so they are the only company that must have done five years.
“Or you want me to bring in a Nigerian company when the train derails and 50 people die, you start calling Amaechi,” he lamented.
The Minister further explained that “for me, I will love to get in Nigerians but they must be qualified, they must meet the requirements as approved by the Directorate of Railways.
“There is this rehabilitation that was done by the Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration, some local contractors got it, they gave to CCECC to do it for them, some got it and called foreign companies to do it for them, but I am not going to allow that, if you want to do railway contracts, go and build capacity,” he stated.
Amaechi said the ministry of Transportation had sent many Nigerian youths outside the country on scholarship to study railway engineering and have also encouraged many engineers to be part of the ongoing rail project.
“But we can not give unqualified people life-threatening contracts, if you have the capacity, you will come number one before any foreign company,” the Minister assured.
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