The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has upbraided the Federal Government over the planned commissioning of the uncompleted section of the Lagos-Ibadan railway.
It described the proposed commissioning as “a pre-election gimmick to hoodwink Nigerians and create an impression of performance, when there is none.”
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary And Director, Media & Publicity PDP Presidential Campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party called on Nigerians to be very cautious of the project as its opening without completion and installation of critical components and infrastructure will be a great risk to lives and property.
He said; “This planned commissioning of an unfinished project is a reflection of the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s desperation to pad up its false performance record, for which Mr. President is prepared to jeopardize the lives of Nigerians.
“The Buhari Presidency, which has displayed complete lack of capacity to improve or manage our railway, had resorted to appropriating the efforts of the PDP administration, as well as lying about their non-existent railway performance, just because the elections are around the corner.”
Ologbondiya noted that while the PDP welcomed efforts to reduce the pains of travelling between Iju, a suburb of Lagos, and Abeokuta, “this premature commissioning is a self-serving charade by the Buhari Presidency to hypocritically ingratiate itself to voters before the election, after which it will be shut down because it is not completed.”
The Party noted further that the Buhari Presidency, represented by the minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had in the last three years, turned the serious issue of railway to media jamboree with endless site visitations and issuing of disruptive instructions to engineers.
The statement said further; “They want to plunge Nigerians into a disaster with the commissioning of an unfinished project, just because elections are around the corner.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram: We will conduct elections in Madagali, Adamawa INEC vows
“Is it not preposterous that the Buhari administration wants to commission a rail system without adequate provision of basic signal, communication and station facilities?
“Moreover, when will the coaches, wagons and locomotives arrive? Where is the operating plan? Have they recruited and trained crews? Why are President Buhari and the APC seeking to celebrate when the main work is yet to be done?”
Ologbondiyan urged Nigerians to demand from the federal government the money earmarked for the second track of the rail project.
