by Joachim MacEbong
The Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway was opened for business by President Buhari and other government officials today in Abuja, and they took a ride to Kaduna to commemorate it. While that was on however, Nigerian Twitter was busy debating about who should take credit for the achievement.
Abuja – Kaduna Rail project
OBJ- Inconclusive
UMY- Renegotiated
GEJ- Inconclusive
PMB (akehinde gbegbon) – Concluded and commissioned— Osho Nourdean (@Oshofaze) July 26, 2016
The GEJ camp insisted that the former president deserved the bulk of the credit, and should even have been invited to the ceremony and given some of the credit in order to build bridges. Buhari supporters for their part also insisted that the praise should go the person who actually completed the project, given how many of our projects end up abandoned. Below is a series of tweets that should provide some clarity.
was it commissioned? When? Did people start using it? These are very honest questions
— Chidi Okereke (@Chydee) July 26, 2016
Commisioned pic.twitter.com/H89qQ5fQvV
— Ayobami (@dondekojo) July 26, 2016
so it was commissioned ehn? Good? Can someone tell me why it has not been used since Dec 2014?
— Chidi Okereke (@Chydee) July 26, 2016
the engines/cabs had not arrived. Apparently, what was used to pull the coaches during…
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
…testing were the construction cabs. I heard that in an NTA news report made during one of…
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
…testing were the construction cabs. I heard that in an NTA news report made during one of…
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
…the test runs.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
as far as I can surmise, construction was 100% complete under the past admin. Delivery of certain important..
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
…equipment seems to have been what delayed the commissioning, that and the election wahala.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
I think it is fair to say that everything had been paid for since the project was not covered in Buhari's…
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
…budget for 2016, and you know how he claims to abhor extra-budgetary spending.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
you won't get actual figures except you have links to the contractors.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
you could say GEJ handled construction and procurement of equipment 100%. Buhari probably just put everything leftover together.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
I suspect Buhari himself does not know for sure what stage of progress the project was when he took over.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 26, 2016
The above tweets indicate that the bulk of the credit therefore should to GEJ, but credit should also be given to Buhari for not scrapping the project or delaying it unnecessarily. We have far too many uncompleted projects already. Next!
Comment: Buhari should please recognise the effort of others and stop claming praise where he has just contributed very little.
It is not about Presidents getting credit, its about moving the country forward. This kinds of posers rather create more divides.
u guys are just too petty, it’s nigerians that will get d credit bcos it was tax payers money that was used 2 execute the project.
Jonathan that did the project but wasn’t in power to commission it should take credit. buhari is yet to do one notable project
president Buhari because he was the one who paid the percentage Nigeria was suppose to pay for the project. China paid the highest.
I think they should both take the credit 50/50,thanks to the man that initiate the move and thanks to the man that accomplished it