HeyCorleone:


Some of you here just imagine that everyone is a partisan idiot like you.

The write up here involved just Amaechi. The guy based his comment on it, saying "Amaechi should be executed". Whether Jona, or Dasuki would also be executed is another matter for another day. But based on this piece of info, that guy just gave his opinion.

But you, in all your infinite wisdom, just had to assume that he was taking sides.

Let's take matters one by one abeg. Assumptions are not very good.

deomelo:
This project was awarded by OBJ back in 2006 and rewarded by GEJ I think around 2012, but both men abandoned the project for 11 years.

...but Ameachi started the project for $800 million less and it's almost completed in less than 3 years.

It is only in Nigeria where the achievers are bad and the nonachievers, the real embezzlers with abandoned projects all over the place are good people and praised every day.

AutoJoshNG:
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the former Governor of River state and Minister of Transportation in the last dispensation, is one man that courts controversies effortlessly.

The former Minister is also famous for declaring publicly that he has never accepted a bribe, and that he would not be tempted, much less yield, because he does not like money.

In the recently dissolved cabinet of President Mohammadu Buhari, Rotimi Amaechi was one of the most active and outstanding ministers.



In the last 4 years, he was constantly in the news on account of several railway reconstructions and expansion projects around the country.

Rotimi Amaechi, during his stint as the governor of River state and as the Minister of transportation, had been the focus of several controversies.

Interestingly, some of the biggest controversies involving him centred on the cost of railway construction projects.

Autojosh highlights 2 of the controversial railway projects that Rotimi Amaechi has been embroiled in.


The Port Harcourt Monorail Project



Rotimi Amaechi conceived the idea of the Port Harcourt Monorail project in 2008 during his first term as governor of River state.

The project was intended for mass transportation within the Port Harcourt metropolis.

While announcing the monorail project, Amaechi said it would be the first of its kind in West Africa.

Two companies bided for the contract: Urbanord, an American company and TSI, a local company owned by a one-time military administrator of Rivers State, Colonel Anthony Ukpo.

The foreign firm bided N25 billion to complete the Phase 1 which was a 12-kilometre distance in the design, while TSI quoted N50billion for the same distance. Amaechi opted for the indigenous firm.

However, this decision did not get the buy-ins of Amaechi’s cabinet.

When it became hard to get the endorsement of his cabinet members, he allegedly dissolved the cabinet to have his way and later reconstituted it after the contract award.

This accounting is according to a submission by the Director, Safety and Aviation, Engineer Says Antioch of the State Ministry of Transportation before Justice George Omwreji-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the Sale of Assets of the state by former Governor Amaechi.

The contract for the construction of the Port Harcourt monorail was designed to cover 12 kilometres at the cost of N50 billion.



The first phase of the project was to cover Aggrey road through Station road- Azikiwe road-Aba road to Water lines junction.

In 2015, at the completion of Ameachi’s second term in office, the project had already been abandoned.

Sources said the work already done at the point of abandonment covered only 2.6kilometers. At that point, it had already gulped N33.9billion.

Many considered that spending as much as 33.9 billion on a 2.6-kilometre railway project was outrageous.

There had also been allegations that the cost of the project, compared with similar projects in other states, was suspicious.

Since Amaechi left office, the project has remained abandoned, as the current government, led by Governor Nyesom Wike, has distanced himself from the project.


Lagos-Ibadan railway



In April 2017, the Federal Government announced that it had begun the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway line.

The Goodluck Jonathan-led government originally contracted the project for nearly $1.5 billion.

However, the Buhari administration – under the supervision of the Rotimi Amaechi-led Ministry of Transportation – rewrote and renegotiated the contract with the Chinese construction firm handling the project, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Multiple news reports said while the 156-km Lagos-Ibadan railway line is estimated to cost $2b.

The Line will run from Iddo in Lagos to Ibadan in Oyo State, passing through Abeokuta in Ogun State. It will also have an extension to the Apapa Ports Complex.



However, in May this year, a news report published by a Ghanaian news media revealed the cost of a similar railway construction project in Ghana.

In the report, Ghana locked down its own standard gauge deal with another Chinese firm, which would also include the building of two terminals in addition to plans to establish local hubs to build locomotive coaches.

The Ghanaian railway line, which will run on a 340km track, will cost Ghana $2.2 billion.

The reports suggested that the Lagos-Ibadan railway project may have been significantly inflated considering the cost per distance of the two projects.

Since the Lagos-Ibadan railway project is roughly one-third shorter, without any significant differences in gauge-type, power source or terrain, many wondered how Ghana got a better deal with the Chinese.



https://autojosh.com/rotimi-ameachi-and-the-2-controversial-rail-projects/

HeyCorleone:


Some of you here just imagine that everyone is a partisan idiot like you.

The write up here involved just Amaechi. The guy based his comment on it, saying "Amaechi should be executed". Whether Jona, or Dasuki would also be executed is another matter for another day. But based on this piece of info, that guy just gave his opinion.

But you, in all your infinite wisdom, just had to assume that he was taking sides.

Let's take matters one by one abeg. Assumptions are not very good.

olajide8:


People can be so shady in this country, they first started by working on the psychology of the fact that most politicians are corrupt and the picked the fact that the man said he is not corrupt, then they went ahead to talk about a project which was abandon by his predecessor the rivers light rail, a wonderful signature project, playing on the gullibility of the short memory of nigerians as usual- they have forgotten the exchange rate of the ghana ceddis to the dollar after re-denomination of the ghana currency years ago, what soludo wanted to do - they have forgotten that the exchange rate is close to $1= 1 ceddis or some very close to that a dollar to max 5 ceddis - shameful, how we paint our own people unjustly, while the foreigners watch our bring him down syndrome even with all the information at our beck and call, we don't note the facts, as they are - if we do a proper analysis. It would surprise most of us to know that, the rail being constructed in ghana is more expensive then ours, in real terms, except - possibly if we check the distance it spans, if we want to see it dispassionately, and see the truth, we have to convert the dollar equivalent for the 2 projects into yuan

deomelo:



So you don't want us to talk about real facts like the $2.3 billion Jona gave to his cronies to share and the fact that $2.3 billion is enough to build 2, I repeat, 2 Lagos Ibadan railway, but you want us to talk about baseless, factless and ignorant rubbish the OP is trying to feed us? Right?

You mean I should blame Amacheci for starting and almost completing the same projects the people before him abandoned for 11 years and also for saving Nigeria $800 million? Is this not what they command people for?

Btw, stating facts is not partisan or taking sides.

Where is the sense in castigating the man that saved you money and almost completed the rail project that was abandoned for 11 years while praising and exonerating the incompetent people that abandoned the project that was slated to cost you almost $1 billion more and abandoned for 11 years?

Is this not grossly senseless and insane.

olajide8:


People can be so shady in this country, they first started by working on the psychology of the fact that most politicians are corrupt and then they picked the fact that the man said he is not corrupt (questioning his integrity), then they went ahead to talk about a project which was abandon by his predecessor the rivers light rail, a wonderful signature project, playing on the gullibility of the short memory of nigerians as usual- they have forgotten the exchange rate of the ghana ceddis to the dollar after re-denomination of the ghana currency years ago, what soludo wanted to do - they have forgotten that the exchange rate is close to $1= 1 ceddis or some very close to that a dollar to max 5 ceddis - shameful, how we paint our own people unjustly, while the foreigners watch our bring him down syndrome even with all the information at our beck and call, we don't note the facts, as they are - if we do a proper analysis. It would surprise most of us to know that, the rail being constructed in ghana is more expensive then ours, in real terms, except - possibly if we check the distance it spans, if we want to see it dispassionately, and see the truth, we have to convert the dollar equivalent for the 2 projects into yuan

HeyCorleone:



https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Ghana-finalizes-agreement-with-GERC-for-2-2bn-Eastern-railway-project-736267

That is a link affirming that, indeed, Ghana is constructing a 340km rail for $2.2b. A simple Google search would have saved you this display of ignorance, not to sound all knowing. Beginning with "I'm an old member of NL". So what do you need? A medal? As an old member don't you know you can verify facts by yourself before coming online to call a news fake?


Shame.

deomelo:
This project was awarded by OBJ back in 2006 and rewarded by GEJ I think around 2012, but both men abandoned the project for 11 years.

...but Ameachi started the project for $800 million less and it's almost completed in less than 3 years.

It is only in Nigeria where the achievers are bad and the nonachievers, the real embezzlers with abandoned projects all over the place are good people and praised every day.

GidiWoodsMan:


Are you ok at all? Of what relevance is dollar-cedi exchange rate or cedi redinomination to a contract awarded in Rivers State, Nigeria?

Buckubuck:

Oga wetin concern dollar cost of project with the value of cedi and naira. You go school so?

HeyCorleone:


So we should be happy that a rail of 156km is constructed for $2 billion, while something of double length is being done in Ghana for $2.2 billion?

Lol. Abeg. Typing in bold doesn't make your comments any wiser.

deomelo:




You posted a bogus link.

If you and the OP are going to compare dollar for dollar, kobo for kobo, the most sensible and logical thing to do is to provide the original contract documents for both projects stating the required specifications for both projects, cost of labor, materials, land acquisition and compensation, how many rail stations, tunnels and bridges to be built and so on.

The OP's manner of comparisons was amateurish, baseless, naive and sorry to say, very unintelligent and you shouldn't let people take you for granted by feeding you such mediocre rubbish because they are not educating you or giving you valuable info, just gossips, and assumptions and of course, blog traffic.

deomelo:



You can not compare until you know the content of the contract and the details. This is just too childish.

Esejojo:


This issue of the Lagos Ibadan railway has been in the public space for a while now. Don't you think the stakeholders should have made public the content of the contract in order to defend themselves?

olajide8:


Shameful - oh lord give u children common sense for most of them can read write but they lack the ability to think

deomelo:



Is the OP's halfbaked rubbish content of the contract? No.

The public should know what they are paying for, so, do FOI request for contract details from the Nigerian government and the Ghanaian government.

Bloggers peddling misinformation and deceptions to capitalize on your predisposed political and personality divisions is nothing but an assault on your own intelligence because they are not doing you any favors, they ar just miseducating you.

HeyCorleone:



Lol. Please.

What is so special about the rail we want to have were? Would the trains fly? What special feature that would allow a Ghanaian rail of more than twice the length cost roughly the same? Because some of you are bent, obviously because of your political leanings, on defending mediocrity, and excesses.

A country is doing something cheaper, instead of you to try and understand why you're saying "how many tunnels. how many bridges". Because the one in Ghana won't have those. It's built on the air.