EXCLUSION OF THE SOUTH EAST FROM THE RAILWAY MASTERPLAN...ABARIBE SPITS FIRE IN THE SENATE.

It was a charged atmosphere today in the Senate during the consideration of the request sent in by President Buhari to borrow 5.8 Billion Dollars from the China Exim Bank to finance some critical railway projects across the country.

When proceedings started, a visibly angry Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP ABIA) drew the attention of the Senate to the fact that from the document before them which outlined the projects to be financed with the loan, no single rail project in the entire South East was included.

The Senator wondered why a whole region will be excluded from such key development while every other region benefited.
Senator Abaribe who is the Chairman of the South East Senate Caucus described the situation as unfortunate and a deliberate attempt to frustrate development in the South East calling on the Senate to roundly reject the request for the loan until the anomaly is corrected and the South East included.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC LAGOS) countered Abaribe and said that since government is a continuum, the South East should be patient and wait for another time. This sparked a heavy row in the Senate as majority of the Senators shouted down their Lagos colleague.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki agreed with Abaribe and stated that it was wrong to exclude any region from such heavy project. He pledged to lead a delegation of the Senate Leadership to meet with Presidency officials to sort out the issue.
In the meantime, consideration of the loan has been stood down while the Senate agreed with Abaribe to summon Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi to come and provide explanations for this mischievous exclusion.

Yet again, Abaribe has risen in defense of our people.

Most Distinguished Senator,

Man of Courage...