Reps summon Ameachi, others over railway contracts, $500m China loan

The House of Representatives is beaming its searchlight on the Nigeria Railway Corporation over its planned $500 million loan request from China for railway line construction in the country.

The House has therefore summoned the Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation; Ali Pantami, minister of communication technology; and Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, over the $500 million loan to be sourced from the Export-Import Bank of China for construction of railway lines and other projects in the country.

Patience Oniha, the director general, Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha, is to also appear before the committee alongside the ministers. Ossai Nicholas, chairman, house committee on treaties, protocols and agreements, gave the summons on Tuesday.

He said the ministers are to appear on August 17 with details of the contracts concerned as well as the agreements signed between the Federal Ministry of Transport and the CCECC on the Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan, Ibadan-Kaduna and Kaduna-Kano rail lines.