The proposed Lagos- Calabar rail project has been at the heart of public discourse in the last two days. Several Nigerian newspapers alleged that Nigeria’s National Assembly did not approve the Lagos Calabar rail project proposed by the Executive arm of government.
In a curious twist, the Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriation has disproved the claims and stated categorically that the Executive made no provision for the rail line in the 2016 appropriation bill.
Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin put the blame on the Executive arm in a series of tweets
Lagos-Calabar Railway line was NEVER captured in the budget that was sent by the Executive. How then could it have been removed by NASS?
— Abdulmumin Jibrin (@AbdulAbmJ) April 10, 2016
All they, and those spreading the false information needed to have done is check the initial document sent by the Executive.
— Abdulmumin Jibrin (@AbdulAbmJ) April 10, 2016
Lagos-Calabar Rail was never included. How could NASS have removed what was not there? But the nation is being misled.
— Abdulmumin Jibrin (@AbdulAbmJ) April 10, 2016
The Buhari administration has had considerable challenges with the 2016 appropriation bill and has now claimed it still needs to amend it.