Adamu Garba: Amaechi’s Statement On Kaduna Rail Attack Is Black Mail At Its Peak

Apr 2, 2022 - 06:42
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Adamu Garba: Amaechi’s Statement On Kaduna Rail Attack Is Black Mail At Its Peak

APC Chieftain and 2023 Presidential Aspirant, Adamu Garba, has in high terms condemned the statement from the current Nigerian Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in which he ascribed the attack to the inability of the Federal Government to provide his ministry an approval of N3 billion to procure digital security equipments meant to protect the railway infrastructure.

Adamu countering Amaechi’s statement through his official Facebook on Page on Wednesday, said, Amaechi seems to be blackmailing Nigerians.

According to him, "Why would you come to national dailies and say should N3 billion equipment has been procured, this attack could have been avoided. Why can’t we think of this attack as orchestrated from within? too?

"I don’t understand what the Honorable Minister of transportation is saying. This seems to be a blackmail at its peak. Is he the national security adviser? What concerns the minister of transportation with purchase of security equipment? This should not stand in a sane country.

"Train is bombed, people died, some kidnapped, our security operatives overwhelmed, on a land, Kaduna, that has the largest, most strategic and most important military formations in the country, yet the minister thinks to blame this on lack of attention to his procurement request.

This is blackmail and should not be allowed to stand.

"Road, rails and air transportation network are critical national assets, thus all arrangements about their security should be done by the security agencies and not the office of the ministry of transport. Lives should be protected not commoditized."

Adamu said the existence of a surveillance system may not have necessarily averted or lessened the tragedy.

“We are tired of some kangaroo condolence visits. We’ve gotten enough, over time. This is not what we want. We need to see those criminals apprehended. You should tell us what you put in place to prevent recurrence and restore the safety of our roads."

Adamu said the military contracts in Nigeria was diluted with theft, as governors use security votes to enrich themselves.

"The police and soldiers on the frontline were not armed enough. It’s US vs. US. We’ll keep suffering this together. Whether you are a governor today, assembly member or President, tomorrow you will still need to visit Kaduna State for one reason or another.

"You’ll definitely need an airport; you’ll definitely ply same road or board the train. No one will escape the consequences of the damages happening in this country, rich or poor, politician or businessmen, public office holders or private ones. No one can escape this. All of us are in this together.

It is the same us that make it difficult for people to live in the villages because we don’t care about them. We don’t educate them, we don’t care for them, we don’t even support their subsistence farming. We terrorized them, seized their farmlands, their animals and their cattle. We think we are safe from this? This must be a joke.

"These same marginalized and less privileged people, migrated to the cities, yet, they cannot still be assimilated. They don’t know city life, the don’t have education to work, they don’t know the value of hospitals, rails, roads and the airports. They see us using them. The recalled how we deny them their dues. They’re fighting back hard. We must self-reflect. Because it is still our doing.

"When the bandits’ attacks airports, railroads and highways and escaped unhurt with bounties. What do you expect? They’ll come back again, to bite harder, to them, there is reward, not punishment for attacking our lifestyle and our livelihood. We let them."

Going forward, Adamu said, we must jettison our individual greed, pride, sentiments and face the future with a greater thrust that will benefit us all.

"We don’t have another way; this is the only way. I tell you this. You see how it started? It will continue like this until we ensure all these corrupt, adulterated, wicked minded, fickle hearted leaders across board is overwhelmingly transformed.

"Make no mistake about it. Leadership is everything needed to fix this country. Leadership is the only way forward to rebuild the lost bridge of trust, mutual respect, mutual value and social justice and peace for our dear nation. It’s all about Leadership," he noted.