Alleged N1trn Failed Rail Contracts: Amaechi, Adeosun, Others Shun Reps C’ttee

ABUJA— MINISTER of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun; ex-Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Farida Waziri; ex-bosses of SURE-P, Gen Martin Agwai, retd, and Christopher Kolade, all failed to show up, yesterday, to defend the roles they played in alleged N1 trillion failed rail contract scam.

None of the principal officers summoned showed up at the investigative hearing on the N1 trillion scam.

At press time, none had sent any letter to state why he or she failed to appear before the investigative panel.

This did not go down well with the chairman of the adhoc committee, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbaonayinma, who vowed in his opening remarks that all shoddy rail contract deals between 2010 and 2014 would be unearthed.
He said: “In spite of challenges faced by the committee, we are determined to fulfil the mandate given to the committee.

“Nigerians must know how their money was spent in the rail sector, I make bold to say that anyone found wanting will be exposed.’’

Immediately the session started at about 10.45am, the committee chairman ordered representatives of SURE-P to defend how N77 billion was disbursed to contractors involved in all the rail projects.

Convener of Presidential Committee on Rail under SURE-P, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, quickly responded that the amount involved was N73.08 billion not N77 billion.

Ohuabunwa, while defending his committee before it was stopped, said: “I’m proud to say that we carried out all our assignments well as verified all payments and projects nationwide.’

He also asserted that SURE-P was not party to the award of railway contracts, disclosing that a total sum of N73 billion was expended on various railway projects between June 2012 and March 2014 when the tenure of the intervention outfit came to an abrupt end.

Vanguardngr