The Federal Government has confirmed the suspension of work on the eastern rail line by China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCEC) due to insecurity along the corridor and vandalisation of the rail infrastructure,
While on a project inspection tour in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo said CCEC complained of attacks on its workers along the Abia State axis.
He said their prosecution would serve as deterrent to others.
The Minister also described as fake news claims that funds meant for the eastern rail line has been diverted to other projects.
He said: “It was fake news because the progress made so far on the project is from the 15 percent of the counterpart funding by Nigeria, while the 85 percent to be provided by foreign partners is still negotiated”.
A year go, President virtually performed the groundbreaking of the Eastern Rail Corridor, which is designed to stimulate economic activities in the 14 states it covers.
The then Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi said the $1.96 billion Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Railway Corridor, would link the five South-east states of Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu as well as nine others.
The other states are: Rivers, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi and Gombe.
He explained that the connecting would be from Port Harcourt to Bonny where there would be a deep seaport, and Port Harcourt to Owerri, Aba, Umuahia and Enugu.
He added that the deep blue sea project conceived by the Federal Government to fight piracy in Nigeria’s waters was being delayed by those benefitting from insecurity and raking in billions of dollars on the lease of vessels to the Nigerian Navy.
