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The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari can only get over the issues surrounding rail projects in the country.
This is coming after the Minister yielded to the summon of the President over the $16bn eastern rail project and others.
Addressing State House correspondents later, Amaechi admitted that there were "issues around the transport" that he had to discuss with the president.
According to the minister, President Buhari's blood pressure will rise if he does not brief him about issues in the railway subsector.
He recalled that an approval had been given for the eastern flank of the railway modernisation "which has to do with from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri cutting across Aba, Owerri, Enugu, Umuahia to Makurdi, Abakiliki, Awka and Lafia down to Bauchi, Gombe, Yola and to Damaturu and ends at Borno."
He stated: "That is why I was summoned. Don't forget that the president sleeps and wakes up thinking about railway and if his BP will not rise, I must see him and tell him how far we've progressed. Once he hears that progress is being made he feels a bit happy.
The minister emphasised that the money was not available for the eastern railway project, but said the government was considering a Public-Private arrangement.
"There are approvals, but we have to look for the money, the money is just not there. It is not easy, it is a total of about $16 billon and you don't pluck $16 billion from the sky,” Amaechi said.
This is coming after the Minister yielded to the summon of the President over the $16bn eastern rail project and others.
Addressing State House correspondents later, Amaechi admitted that there were "issues around the transport" that he had to discuss with the president.
According to the minister, President Buhari's blood pressure will rise if he does not brief him about issues in the railway subsector.
He recalled that an approval had been given for the eastern flank of the railway modernisation "which has to do with from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri cutting across Aba, Owerri, Enugu, Umuahia to Makurdi, Abakiliki, Awka and Lafia down to Bauchi, Gombe, Yola and to Damaturu and ends at Borno."
He stated: "That is why I was summoned. Don't forget that the president sleeps and wakes up thinking about railway and if his BP will not rise, I must see him and tell him how far we've progressed. Once he hears that progress is being made he feels a bit happy.
The minister emphasised that the money was not available for the eastern railway project, but said the government was considering a Public-Private arrangement.
"There are approvals, but we have to look for the money, the money is just not there. It is not easy, it is a total of about $16 billon and you don't pluck $16 billion from the sky,” Amaechi said.
