Sen. Umeh Queries Omission of Southeast, Others from Light Rail Project in 2025 Budget

By Our Reporter

Senator Victor Umeh of Anambra Central Senatorial District has queried the omission of the South East and other adjoining zones from the Light Rail project popularly known as the “Eastern rail line” in the 2025 budget.

The rail project cuts across the South-South, South East, North East and North West geo-political zones of the country.

Recall that Senator Umeh had on 23rd of November, 2023, sponsored a motion on the floor of the Senate, supported by 35 Senators on the need to construct standard gauge rail from Port Harcourt through Aba, Makurdi, to Maiduguri.

Following his discovery that there was no provision for the project in the 2025 budget that was passed by the National Assembly on Thursday, an agitated Umeh raised a point of Order on the matter.

Ohamadike Ndigbo, as he is fondly called, argued for inclusion of the Eastern rail line project in the budget, to no avail.
Umeh’s submission at the senate reads in part, “Last year, I raised an observation that there was an omission. That omission was the non-provision of a huge sum of money for the construction of standard gauge rail from South South through South East, North Central, and North West because of Kafanchan in Kaduna State and then, North East.

“I said that that corridor has no functional railway system, and none has been constructed there. It has been abandoned. And I was thinking that this bill would incorporate the need to build that railway. Also, drawing from the fact that on the 23rd of November, 2023, I sponsored a motion here and co-sponsored by 35 Senators on this corridor, on the need to construct standard gauge rail from Port Harcourt through Aba, Makurdi, to Maiduguri and no provision was made.

“You recall that you were presiding on that date, and you told me that until the breakdown comes out, you might not be sure that that provision was not made.

“We waited and the breakdown came out, and that rail line has zero allocation; no money for that railway line. We took it up at the Committee level, Senator Adamu Aliero will bear me witness, but the Minister could not give any satisfactory answer.

“Now, the President has made additional appropriation requests up to four point-something trillion, itemizing projects that will be built with the funds, particularly the transportation infrastructure provision of N700 billion.

“For rails, N300 billion, N400 billion for light rail development in urban centres. That light rail line was also omitted again out of the N4.5 trillion. I said that those people who are using this rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri have been abandoned again.”

Continuing he said,”And this last provision in this budget, not even a dime was put on that railway line and it’s not acceptable to our people. So, am standing again to say, even though we are at the point of passing this budget, the Senate should take appropriate note of this.”

”The President of the Senate, you have to intervene. Any time the President brings a request here, this Senate will consider it. So, that Eastern rail line has to be accommodated in this programme, yes, for the good of this country, and the good of all.

“I, therefore, raise a motion that the next supplementary budget that will be brought to this National Assembly should come with that.”

Responding to Senator Umeh’s motion, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, explained that the matter was raised by Senator Umeh at their closed-door session and was assured that it would be communicated to President Bola Tinubu, to ensure that it would be included in the supplementary budget.

“This matter was raised during the executive session and it was agreed that this matter will be communicated to the President, and we will work in conjunction with the Executive, to ensure that the matter is addressed. So, this matter has been resolved and appropriate action will be taken, he noted.

Also, in his remarks on the matter, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, further stressed the importance of Senator Umeh’s agitation for the inclusion of the Eastern rail line project in the supplementary budget because of its huge economic benefits to the three geo-political zones in particular and Nigerian in general.

He said that the issue raised by Senator Umeh affects the three zones: South South is involved, South East is involved and North East is also involved. When I was a young person, less than ten years old, I took the train from Aba all the way to Zaria to attend an interview at the Nigeria Military School.

“So, we will take it up with the Executive so that it will be included in the Appropriation Act. It will ease movement create employment opportunities and assist in the movement of goods and services. So, I thank you for your motion and I thank our colleagues for their contributions.”

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