………….Re: Tinubu asked to sack Transport Minister over alleged sale of Railway Assets.
The attention of the Management and staff of the Ministry of Transportation has been drawn to a malicious online media report from a Civil Society Organisation named Alliance for Public Asset Protection and Accountability (APAPA), alleging that the officials of the Railway Property Management Company Limited in collaboration with an unnamed Private Consultant has facilitated secretive sales of functioning railway equipment’s and infrastructure to foreign buyers, particularly Chinese firms.
The Ministry wishes to clearly state that, the statement on the sales of functioning railway equipments to foreign buyers is false, malicious, and ill-conceived with the intention of tarnishing the good image of the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali.
The public should know that the Hon. Minister is working assiduously to ensure that the railway corridors are safe and functional to ease transportation burden in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR as evidenced in the ongoing railway projects across the country.
Also, the accusation that the Hon. Minister bypassed the statutory Agencies, including Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Infrastructure Regulatory Commission is categorically untrue.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), as part of its mandate is carrying out needs assessment to identify serviceable and unserviceable items in order to secure and protect the items from further vandalization and stealing.
Therefore, the Ministry/NRC cannot be said to have disposed Railway assets. Thus, the public should disregard the malicious information.
The media is advised to verify any official information and get the facts right before going to the press, please.
SIGNED:
Janet McDickson Noah
Director, Press & Public Relations
