The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) has decried the exclusion of South-East from the proposed $5.85billion railway modernisation project across the country.
In a statement issued in Onitsha and signed by the President, Mr Uchenna Apakama, the chamber described the situation as “willful exclusion of the South-East zone by the Federal Government”.
Apakama wondered why the zone was excluded from such a strategic project plan that would engender economic and social benefits across the country, when implemented.
“To the chamber, this is a clearly designed effort aimed at crippling the economic and developmental potential of the South-East region for no justifiable reason.
“How could the Minister of Transportation or the Federal Government defend this sheer disregard, through the denial of the rail project for the South-East which is noted worldwide for its prowess in industrialisation, trade and commerce?
“This, therefore, seems  a calculated setback and slight on millions of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in the zone, in particular, and the entire citizenry of South-East in general, whose businesses and lives will, invariably, be negatively affected in no small measure due to this singular exclusion.
“We wish to recall, with the same sadness and disbelief, similar action of the Federal Government against the socio-economic interest of people of the South-East such as the Onitsha River Port Complex.
“The Federal Government is yet to fund the concessionaires since 2012 when the project was commissioned.
“What of the second Niger Bridge, which is yet to take off, in spite of repeated assurances by this administration?
“What of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and many other federal roads in the South-East, which have become perpetual death traps?
“Again, it is only the South-East zone that has only but five states and fewer local government areas than any other zones throughout the country.
“In fact, the list of these acts of marginalisation of the zone is endless,” the statement said.
The chamber appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider its decision and include the zone in the rail project in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.
“Buhari should see all parts of the country as his single constituency, without political, religious, tribal or any other personalised considerations.
“No nation has ever attained her greatness in the face of grave injustice, maltreatment and exclusion of a significant part of its own.
“Excluding only the South-East zone from the railway project, as it is now, can never at any given time, pass integrity test of social justice, fairness and objectivity,” Apakama said.
It would be recalled that Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Constituency, had urged the Senate to suspend further consideration of the request for the approval of Federal Government 2016-2017 External Borrowing (Rolling Plan) until the exclusion of the Eastern corridor is resolved.
Abaribe had raised a motion entitled “Outright Omission of Eastern Corridor Rail Line”, which he described as “inexplicable”.
To calm matters, the Senate invited the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, for a briefing, while the Senate President Bukola Saraki, said he would ensure that no section of the country was excluded from the project.