By Muhammad Mamman
The House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, demanding his appearance over last month’s Abuja–Kaduna train derailment.
The chair of the committee, Blessing Onuh (APC–Benue), delivered the order on Tuesday during an investigative hearing in Abuja, criticising the minister for failing to honour earlier invitations.
The derailment occurred on 26 August at 11:09 a.m. between Kubwa and Asham stations, raising fresh concerns over the safety of Nigeria’s rail infrastructure.
Also summoned are the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, and Guan Shuai, Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd.
Ms Onuh described Mr Alkali’s absence as unacceptable, particularly given the gravity of the incident.
“A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. We are on recess, but many of us cut short our break to travel from Lagos for this hearing. Only for the minister to snub parliament. Our people were endangered – this is not a joke. He must appear within 48 hours,” she declared.
The committee chair stressed that the probe goes beyond identifying the immediate cause of the derailment, seeking to unearth deeper systemic issues to prevent future tragedies.
Cyril Hart (PDP–Rivers) also condemned the minister’s no-show, noting his background as a former lawmaker.
“Over 618 Nigerians could have died. This raises grave questions about the safety of our rail system. For a former lawmaker to shun parliament when Nigerians need answers is betrayal. We cannot allow anyone to toy with lives,” he said.
The committee vowed to pursue accountability at the highest levels to restore public confidence in the nation’s rail network.
