What late Odekunle told Buhari Before he died
By Abdullahi Haruna
The first route to industrialisation is a functional rail system; forget the noise about failed economy, Nigeria is on the verge of a big comeback greatly. You don’t need any expert view on developing your economy when you have your country connected by rail. Before anything else, America had developed its rail system first, the reason it took them no time to develop in other ventures.
A rail system connected around the country needs no wear off that would call for yearly rehabilitation budget, no daily road crashes that would burden the health system, incidence of robbery is reduced and goods are transported in large quantity.
I remember in 2015 shortly after the presidential elections when late Professor Femi Odekunle wrote a three-point agenda memo to President Muhammadu Buhari. Two things stood out; he said the man should invest massively in rail transportation and also opined that the president should deploy the restitution -whistling initiative to fight corruption. In testimony of witnesses, we can proudly say that president Buhari has done pretty well in the fight against corruption and the revitalization of the rail sector.
With the rail system, jobs are massively created, unceasing revenue to government coffers as Nigerians now jive in pleasurable travel experiences. From Kaduna to Abuja down through Itakpe-Warri down to Lagos -Ibadan- the experiences has been rewarding and memorable.
This legacy must b sustained, Nigeria must be connected by rail even if it means indebting Nigeria forever. We should be alive in luxury paying debt than allowing a few to loot the people’s resources. Rotimi Amaechi and his team must be applauded and urged to continue with this only economic theory that works.
Impressively musing
