Amaechi Canvasses Stiffer Penalties for Rail Vandals

• Says they should be tried for manslaughter
• Hints of FG’s plan to borrow from Europe to fund projects if China fails

By Deji Elumoye

Transportation Minister, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, has canvassed for stiffer charges to be preferred against anyone found vandalising railway lines and facilities in the country.
He also hinted of plans by Federal Government to source for funds from Europe to fund railway expansion projects in case China was no longer forthcoming to assist in this regard.

Amaechi, who spoke Friday at the weekly ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Media Team at the State House, Abuja stressed that introducing stiffer penalties such as manslaughter charges to punish vandals will go a long way to curb the menace, which could cause a train to derail and lead to grave fatalities.

He said: “You can imagine the number of people that will die as a result of that derailment. This is just because one selfish Nigerian is trying to steal track to make money. I think like other countries, I’m not saying that they should be killed because there’s poverty.
“But I’m saying they should be charged for mass manslaughter because people will die.
But again, they will tell you that manslaughter means that somebody died. If anybody dies, they should be charged for manslaughter. If nobody dies, they should be charged for stealing. That’s my view.”

The Minister expressed concern that railway clips were frequently stolen, resulting in huge losses in hard currency adding that he will soon meet with the Inspector General of Police with a view to providing adequate security for the rail tracks

His words: “if we enforce the law on the vandalisation of tracks, it will stop. And I have asked the Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRA) about their police. He said they were enough.

“I will meet the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to give us enough men and materials so that we can use them to police the tracks. Having moved from narrow gauge to standard gauge, it has become a national security issue because it’s a daily movement, involving three, four, five, six trips a day.”

“I think the law should deal with those who break it. The law should not be quiet”.
The former Governor of Rivers state further disclosed that Nigeria and China had signed a contract to manufacture train coaches locally in the country following an initial five year period of just the local assembly of the components.

Amaechi, however, stated that government will not hesitate to look towards European banks for intervention if China was not forthcoming with assistance, adding that a financial firm has already expressed willingness to provide funding for some of the rail projects.

According to him: “If the Chinese don’t turn up in the next few months, why shouldn’t we approach the European banks to fund Ibadan to Kano? I will put that before the Minister of Finance.
“The Standard Chattered Bank has agreed to fund Lagos–Calabar, we are negotiating with them. We are negotiating Port Harcourt–Maiduguri. Kano–Maradi is funded by Pedy-Swiss. We would look for money from everybody.”