A motion targeted at stopping the Nigerian government’s seven billion dollar loan request from China and the World Bank met a brickwall in the Senate at Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion sponsored by Senator Enyinaya Abaribe was based on the alleged non-inclusion of the southeast geo-political zone in Nigeria’s rail modernization programme which is part of what the loan is meant for.
TVC News Sumner Sambo reports that the Senate leadership and Senator Gbenga Ashafa later saved the day for the executive.
Senator Abaribe representing Abia South had raised the motion on the alleged neglect of the eastern railway corridor in the designing and mapping of the route of the rail modernisation programme, saying based on that the Senate should reject the loan approval request.
But Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa was quick to dismiss the motion as inaccurate, insisting that the government’s overral railway modernisation plan includes the southeast region.
Upon hearing this, Senate President Bukola Saraki immediately intervened and informed senators that the executive had included all sections of the country as contained in a letter from the presidency.
