The House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, on Tuesday, to appear before it regarding the recent Abuja–Kaduna train derailment that endangered 618 passengers.
Lawmakers, who described President Bola Tinubu’s transport minister as incompetent and unfit for the job, expressed outrage after he failed to attend the committee’s investigative hearing on the incident.
Chairperson of the committee, Blessing Onuh, stated that the minister’s absence was an insult to Nigerians at a time when they needed answers.
She said, “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.”
Deputy Spokesman of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, was even more blunt, declaring that the minister’s absence was proof of incompetence and disregard for the Nigerian people.
He said, “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.”
Another member, Hon. Cyril Hart, lamented that Alkali, himself a former parliamentarian, chose to dishonour the House
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 unanimously resolved to suspend its hearing until the minister appears in person, warning that continued disregard would be reported directly to the President.
