By Ogechi Okorie
Abuja (Precise Post) – The Presidency has reacted to the rumoured rail line project into Niger Republic, saying Nigeria isn’t building rail line into Niger but, only to the designated Border point.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) who reacted via his twitter handle @GarShehu tweeted:
“An agreement between Nigeria and Niger in 2015, coordinated by the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation has a plan for “Kano-Katsina-Maradi Corridor Master Plan, (K2M)” as it is called.
“Going by this, the two nations would each build a rail track to meet at the border town of Maradi.
“Nigerian delegates to that meeting comprised officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Boundaries Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources as well as those of Kano & Katsina states.
“The objective of the rail is the harnessing of raw materials, mineral resources and agricultural produce.
“When completed, it will serve domestic industries and play the role of a a viable transportation backbone to the West African subregion, starting with the neighboring Niger Republic for their export and import logistic chain.
Precise Post recalls that Reno Omokri, the Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan had alleged that dishonesty is official policy of President Buhari’s government when he said that there was contradictions between the statement of the transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and that of Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu of the rail project of the federal government.
