The House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport has directed the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, to appear before it within 48 hours following the derailment of a Kaduna-bound train conveying 618 passengers.
Lawmakers issued the order on Tuesday after the minister failed to attend an investigative hearing on the incident. His absence was described as an affront to the Nigerian people.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Blessing Onuh, condemned Alkali’s decision not to appear. She said it was unacceptable for the Minister to “turn his back on Nigerians at a time they needed him most.”
According to her:
“A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. We are on recess, but many of us cut our break and came all the way from Lagos because of this national tragedy only for the Minister to snub the parliament. We take strong exception to this. Our brothers and sisters were endangered. This is not a joke. We are therefore suspending this meeting and mandating the Minister to appear in person within 48 hours.”
The Deputy Spokesman of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, was more direct in his criticism, insisting that the minister’s behaviour demonstrated incompetence and disregard for citizens.
He stated:
“This action clearly shows he is not competent to handle the job entrusted to him by the President. It is a dangerous signal that he does not care about the lives of Nigerians or the reputation of this government. The President has warned that no Minister or agency head should ignore parliament. This Minister has chosen contempt. If he fails to show up, Nigerians should know there is effectively no Minister of Transportation in this country.”
Also speaking, Hon. Cyril Hart lamented Alkali’s failure to honour the committee’s invitation despite being a former legislator himself.
He said:
“Over 618 Nigerians could have died. This raises serious questions about the integrity of our rail infrastructure. For a former lawmaker to shun this committee when Nigerians need answers is a betrayal. Even the Railway MD has a history of trying to join this parliament, so he knows the respect due to it. We cannot allow anyone to toy with the lives of our people.”
The committee subsequently adjourned its sitting until the minister appears in person. Members warned that continued disregard for parliamentary summons would be escalated directly to the President.