Kano-Niger Republic Rail: South and Middle Belt Leaders Say Buhari Using Nigeria’s Resources to Fund His ‘Ethno-Religious Sensibilities Outside the Country’

Leaders from the Southern part of the country and the Middle Belt under the aegis of South and Middle Belt Forum (SMBF), have called on Nigerians to reject what they described as “squandering of our resources on another country” in response to the recently approved Kano-Niger Republic rail by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

In a statement jointly signed by Chief Edwin Clark (South-South), Chief Ayo Adebanjo (South-West), Chief John Nwodo (South-East), and Dr Pogu Bitrus (Middle Belt), the leaders said Buhari with that action has shown he is committed to another country rather than Nigeria.

The statement reads, “The announcement of the building of a $1.9bn rail from Kano to Niger Republic is one more reason that Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to Nigeria is no more than the resources he can take from the country to fund his ethno-religious sensibilities outside the country.

“Committing such an amount to another country at a time Nigerians are being punished with atrocious prices of petroleum and electricity prices confirms that Mr President is loyal to a different civilisation, which he is abusing his leadership of Nigeria to promote.

“This project is being promoted at a time the Calabar-Lagos rail that is of great economic importance has been abandoned. We wonder what explanation the Minister of Transportation will have to give to the people of the South-South for abandoning such a project, while committing to the wasteful project to Niger.

“It is not lost on us the absolute lack of integrity of this government in lying to us that the rail is being constructed to the border when Maradi is over one hour to the border of Niger with Nigeria.”