Chinese loans: Reps C’ttee fault Amaechi’s claim on local content compliance

The House of Representatives has received from the Ministry of Transportation the documents on bilateral loan agreements between Nigeria and China since 2000 as requested by the House committee on Treaties Protocols and Agreements.

In the document signed by the director of legal services of the Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Pius Oteh and obtained by Orderpaper Nigeria, it was observed that the ministry of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi failed to comply with the local content rule as only 14,273 Nigerian were employed for the construction of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan light rail project which was against his claim at the Monday hearing in Abuja that over 20,000 Nigerians were employed.

It was also gathered that 596 Chinese which is over 40% are occupying the positions ought to have been for Nigerian employees for the light rail construction.

Also observed was that the ministry failed to include the following: Copies of documents in respect of the Nigerian Railway Modernization Project dated 28th August, 2012.

Other documents not submitted to the committee but claimed to have been submitted include: Schedule showing payments made thus far on the Commercial Agreements being implemented by the ministry of transportation and soft copy of China-linked project agreements being handled by the ministry.

Recalled that Chairman of the committee, Nicholas Ossai had argued with the transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi at the hearing on Monday that local content was not observed in the light rail project of the Lagos-Ibadan stressing that documents be provided to the committee to counter his claim.

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