The House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, to appear before it following his failure to attend a hearing on the recent Kaduna-bound train derailment.
The train, which was carrying 618 passengers, derailed last week, prompting the committee to launch an investigation.
Chairperson of the committee, Hon. Blessing Onuh, expressed disappointment over the minister’s absence, describing it as a snub to the Nigerian people during a time of crisis.
“We are on recess, but many of us travelled from across the country to attend this hearing. Our brothers and sisters were endangered. This is not a joke,” she said.
“We are suspending this meeting and mandating the Minister to appear within 48 hours.”
Other lawmakers were equally critical. Deputy House Spokesman, Hon. Philip Agbese, said the minister’s absence was a sign of incompetence and disregard for Nigerians.
“This shows he is not competent to hold office. It’s clear he does not care about the lives of Nigerians or the reputation of this government,” Agbese stated.
“If he fails to appear, Nigerians should know they effectively have no Minister of Transportation.”
Hon. Cyril Hart, also a committee member, noted the irony of Alkali, himself a former lawmaker, disregarding a legislative summons, especially in the wake of a potentially deadly incident.
“Over 618 Nigerians could have died. For a former lawmaker to shun this committee at a time like this is a betrayal,” he said.
The committee suspended its hearing and warned that any further act of defiance by the minister would be escalated to the President.
