By TONY OKAFOR, Awka
Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, has expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for promising to complete the Eastern Rail Line connecting Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.
This comes after Umeh raised concerns over the project’s omission from the 2025 budget proposal, emphasizing its importance in promoting economic growth and development in the region.
Umeh had previously advocated for the project, raising a motion in 2018 for the construction of a standard-gauge rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri as part of Nigeria’s Railway Modernization Programme.
He also co-sponsored a motion with 35 other senators in November 2023, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate, calling on the Federal Government to construct the railway ¹.
The Senator’s concerns were sparked by the government’s announcement of a free train ride for the holidays, which would not benefit Nigerians in the eastern corridor due to the lack of a rail line in the area.
Umeh urged the Senate to consider the project and include it in the 2025 appropriation, stating, “I was expecting a legacy project, the eastern rail line drawing from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. But it does appear that it has been overlooked again.”
President Tinubu’s assurance was given during an interactive session with South East leaders during his official visit to Enugu State on Saturday.
The President also pledged to support the development of the Anambra Basin, which is estimated to hold up to 1 billion barrels of oil and 30 billion cubic feet of gas, as a significant energy reserve for the country.
Umeh’s efforts to advocate for the Eastern Rail Line demonstrate his commitment to promoting economic growth and development in the region.
His gratitude to President Tinubu for promising to complete the project is a positive step towards realizing this goal
