Amaechi lied, Lagos-Kalabar rail not included in 2016 budget – Senate
Amaechi lied, Lagos-Kalabar rail not included in 2016 budget – Senate
//Segun Ojo//
Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jubrin, has said that the Lagos-Kalabar rail project was not included in the 2016 budget sent to NASS by Federal Government as claimed by Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
He also clarified that the budget of Transport Ministry was overblown with N54billion which was added to complete Lagos-Kano rail which is still under the same ministry.
The Kano State born lawmaker stated this while reacting to media report that NASS had in the process of scrutinizing the National budget removed part of it and diverted money meant for it to other areas. This he said while featuring on Channels Television breakfast show, Sunrise Daily on Monday.
“There was nothing like that in the budget. There were a lot of mistakes in the budget sent by transport ministry because it was prepared in haste by task force and forwarded in just two three weeks the Ministers assumed office.
“We have done a lot to work on the budget because we discovered that even the Minister did not understand the budget. So, when I read on pages of newspapers and one of social media, I laugh because it was not true.
“We discovered that in the budget sent by Ministry of Transportation, it was overblown by N54billion. So, we tried and transferred that money to Lagos-Kano rail project because we noticed that with that money, that Rail line could be completed this year.
“We are not mandatory to consult the executive before we work on the budget sent to us. But we are doing that on friendship ground,” he noted.
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