Members of the House Committee on Land Transport have given the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, a 48-hour deadline to appear before them to explain the recent Abuja-Kaduna train derailment. The move came after the minister failed to show up for an earlier meeting with the committee.
The committee’s chairperson, Blessing Onuh, voiced her disappointment, stating that it was unacceptable for the minister to disregard the public and the parliament at such a critical time. “A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing,” she said. “We are on recess, but many of us chose to cut our break and come all the way from Lagos due to this national tragedy. Only for the minister to snub the parliament. We take strong exception to this.”
The incident, which occurred on August 25, involved a Kaduna-bound train with 618 passengers on board. Rep. Philip Agbese, the Deputy Spokesman of the House, described the minister’s absence as a clear sign of his incompetence and a disregard for the lives of Nigerians. Agbese pointed out that the minister’s actions fly in the face of the president’s directive that no minister or government agency should ignore a parliament invitation. “If he fails to show up, Nigerians should know there is effectively no Minister of Transportation in this country,” Agbese added.
Another committee member, Rep. Cyril Hart, expressed dismay that Alkali, a former lawmaker himself, would disrespect the House. “Over 618 Nigerians could have died. This raises serious questions about the integrity of our rail infrastructure,” Hart said. “For a former lawmaker to shun this committee when Nigerians need answers is a betrayal.”
The committee unanimously decided to suspend its hearing and insisted that the minister must appear in person. They warned that if he continues to disregard their summons, the matter will be reported directly to the president.
