THE House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, to appear before it over the derailment of an Abuja–Kaduna train on August 25.
The ultimatum followed the minister’s failure to honour an earlier invitation by the committee regarding the incident on Tuesday.
The Kaduna-bound train was carrying 618 passengers when it derailed.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the chairperson of the committee, Blessing Onuh, said it was improper for the minister to “turn his back on Nigerians at a time they need him most.
“A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. We are on recess, but many of us chose to cut our break and come all the way from Lagos due to this national tragedy,” she stated.
She added that the minister had snubbed the parliament and stressed that members took strong exception to his absence. She argued that Nigerians’ lives were endangered, and the issue was not a joke.
She announced that the meeting was suspended on Tuesday and directed the minister to appear in person within 48 hours.
Similarly, the Deputy Spokesperson of the House, Philip Agbese, described the minister’s absence as a demonstration of incompetence and disregard for the Nigerian people.
He reiterated that President Bola Tinubu had warned that no minister or agency should ignore a parliamentary invitation.
“This minister has chosen contempt. If he fails to show up, Nigerians should know there is effectively no minister of transportation in this country,” he said.
The committee unanimously resolved to suspend its hearing until the minister appears in person, warning that continued indifference would be reported directly to the president.
Recall that a passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed around Jere, Kaduna State, at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26.
The derailment triggered fear among passengers and their relatives.
The train was carrying 618 passengers when it derailed.
The ICIR reports that the Abuja-Kaduna train corridor is a very sensitive route. Despite being one of Nigeria’s most active rail corridors, used daily by hundreds of commuters, it has faced many challenges.
A reporter with the ICIR
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