Editorial
FG’s Rueful Narrow Gauge Rail Line
President Muhammadu Buhari lately flagged off the reconstruction of the much-awaited
Nigeria’s Eastern rail line, a 1,443 km narrow gauge rail line spanning from Port Harcourt in the South-South zone to Maiduguri in the North-East zone with new branch lines to Owerri, Imo State, and Damaturu, Yobe State.
The project is to be co-financed through a loan from a syndicate of Chinese financiers with the Federal Government’s contribution of 15% project cost. The undertaking includes the Bonny Deepsea Port and Railway Industrial Park, Port Harcourt, and will be developed through direct funding by the conglomerate led Messrs CCECC Nigeria Limited.
When completed, the trains from Port Harcourt to the Maiduguri Eastern narrow gauge railway will run at 60 to 80 kilometres per hour Kph and 80 to 100 kilometres per hour Kph, respectively. Through his virtual speech, the President informed Nigerians that the purpose of the project was to revive the once vibrant rail transport in Port Harcourt — Maiduguri, the country’s Eastern rail corridor.
Justifying the narrow gauge rail line for the Eastern corridor, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, explained that the Federal Government opted for a single track for the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri rail line because of lack of funds for the construction of a standard gauge. According to Amaechi, the six geo-political zones would be covered. It would go through several states including Rivers, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe.
He said the Eastern rail line was designed to have both narrow and standard gauge, “but as it stands now, due to the cost of the standard gauge and what is feasible to do within the limited time frame, it is cheaper to rehabilitate the narrow gauge which will cost about $3.2 billion and can be delivered within the approved time frame.”
The minister also said a standard gauge line was to cost between $11 billion and $14 billion to construct, and getting the funds within the limited time was not feasible because of other projects that were waiting to be funded. Explaining further, the minister said, “the only difference with the two lines is the speed. The standard gauge is 120km per hour. If you take off with the standard gauge, let’s say to Damaturu, you will arrive 20 minutes before me that uses the narrow gauge.
“The narrow gauge is cheaper at $3 billion. Why we did not get the approval for the narrow gauge on time was because the President insisted on the standard gauge from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. My argument is that if I can achieve the same length of rail with $3 billion, why not take that first until when we get money, we can now go for the standard gauge. If we continue to wait until we get the $11 billion to $14 billion, we may not be able to construct the Eastern flag before we leave government.”
This project is highly appreciated for its economic viability and ability to reduce vehicular movement on the road. However, the rehabilitation of rail lines in the country has been a major concern, especially as many in the South-East and South-South regions have been deliberately neglected by the President; whereas he has been busy building thousands of kilometres of rail lines in the North and South-West: Abuja – Kaduna; Lagos – Ibadan; Kano-Katsina-Maradi in the Niger Republic, among others.
The need for a functional rail line on the Eastern corridor persists and remains compelling as the supply chain for products and services on this corridor vanishes and articles and items such as petroleum products, iron and steel, minerals, livestock and poultry products availability were drastically reduced giving rise to the high cost of products.
However, we think that because of the busy nature of the Eastern corridor, a standard gauge would have been more appropriate as rehabilitation of the old narrow-gauge line would amount to a waste of resources. The government should have perhaps utilised the available resources to construct the kilometres that could be covered while the next administration completes the work.
As the region that produces the nation’s wealth, we should have been given priority in terms of quality of the project. Why is cost not an issue when building the standard gauge in other parts of the country? Sadly, it is only when it has to do with the Niger Delta that cost is an impeding factor. Hence, we stand with the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in describing the narrow gauge rail line as inferior, sub-standard, slower, and outdated compared to the standard gauge rail line. We deserve the best.
While it is understandable that the project possesses high economic viability, create employment, and grow the economy through transportation, the question is, why is it coming now when the government has a brief time to be in power? Can the work be completed within the remainder of the administration’s lifespan?
Moreover, given its penchant for abandoning projects, the Federal Government cannot be trusted to deliver the narrow gauge rail project according to schedule. For instance, there are about 9,000 abandoned projects awaiting completion in the Niger Delta alone. The East-West Road has been lying fallow for many years, seeking attention. Numerous others are scattered all over the country many of which are at various stages of incompleteness.
A good number of projects in the area are not pursued with vigour. There are no good roads yet. The East-West Road has been abandoned. The water is polluted and electricity supply is still a luxury in the area where it exists at all. Schools are badly funded. In other words, the people of the Niger Delta remain impoverished.
What is more, why, with all the monies already spent, are there no landmark projects in the area? There are no monuments in the Niger Delta to the huge wealth derived from there. Indeed, all the organisations in the nation’s oil sector, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) headquarters are not even located in the Niger Delta. Things cannot continue in this way. Enough is enough.
It began as a seemingly minor in- flight disagreement. Comfort Emmason, a passenger on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, reportedly failed to switch off her mobile phone when instructed by the cabin crew. What should have been a routine enforcement of safety regulations spiralled into a physical confrontation, sparking a national debate on the limits of airline authority and the rights of passengers.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) wasted no time in condemning the treatment meted out to Emmason. In a strongly worded statement, the body described the incident as “a flagrant violation of her fundamental human rights” and called for a thorough investigation into the conduct of the airline staff. The NBA stressed that while passengers must adhere to safety rules, such compliance should never be extracted through intimidation, violence, or humiliation.
Following the altercation, Emmason found herself arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court and remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, a location more commonly associated with hardened criminals than with errant passengers. In a surprising turn of events, the Federal Government later dropped all charges against her, citing “overriding public interest” and concerns about due process.
Compounding her woes, Ibom Air initially imposed a lifetime ban preventing her from boarding its aircraft. That ban has now been lifted, following mounting public pressure and calls from rights groups for a more measured approach. The reversal has been welcomed by many as a step towards restoring fairness and proportionality in handling such disputes.
While her refusal to comply with crew instructions was undeniably inappropriate, questions linger about whether the punishment fit the offence. Was the swift escalation from verbal reminder to physical ejection a proportionate response, or an abuse of authority? The incident has reignited debate over how airlines balance safety enforcement with respect for passenger rights.
The Tide unequivocally condemns the brutal and degrading treatment the young Nigerian woman received from the airline’s staff. No regulation, however vital, justifies the use of physical force or the public shaming of a passenger. Such behaviour is antithetical to the principles of customer service, human dignity, and the rule of law.
Emmason’s own defiance warrants reproach. Cabin crew instructions, especially during boarding or take-off preparations, are not mere suggestions; they are safety mandates. Reports suggest she may have been unable to comply because of a malfunctioning power button on her device, but even so, she could have communicated this clearly to the crew. Rules exist to safeguard everyone on board, and passengers must treat them with due seriousness.
Nigerians, whether flying domestically or abroad, would do well to internalise the importance of orderliness in public spaces. Adherence to instructions, patience in queues, and courteous engagement with officials are hallmarks of civilised society. Disregard for these norms not only undermines safety but also projects a damaging image of the nation to the wider world.
The Emmason affair is not an isolated case. Former Edo State Governor and current Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, once found himself grounded after arriving late for an Air Peace flight. Witnesses alleged that he assaulted airline staff and ordered the closure of the terminal’s main entrance. This is hardly the conduct expected of a statesman.
More recently, a Nollywood-worthy episode unfolded at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, involving Fuji icon “King”, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM1. In a viral video, he was seen exchanging heated words with officials after being prevented from boarding an aircraft.
Events took a dangerous turn when the aircraft, moving at near take-off speed, nearly clipped the 68-year-old musician’s head with its wing. Such an occurrence points to a serious breach of airport safety protocols, raising uncomfortable questions about operational discipline at Nigeria’s gateways.
According to accounts circulating online, Wasiu had attempted to board an aircraft while he was carrying an alcoholic drink and refused to relinquish it when challenged. His refusal led to de-boarding, after which the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, imposed a six-month “no-fly” ban, citing “unacceptable” conduct.
It is deeply concerning that individuals of such prominence, including Emmason’s pilot adversary, whose careers have exposed them to some of the most disciplined aviation environments in the world, should exhibit conduct that diminishes the nation’s reputation. True leadership, whether in politics, culture, or professional life, calls for restraint and decorum, all the more when exercised under public scrutiny.
Most egregiously, in Emmason’s case, reports that she was forcibly stripped in public and filmed for online circulation are deeply disturbing. This was an act of humiliation and a gross invasion of privacy, violating her right to dignity and falling short of the standards expected in modern aviation. No person, regardless of the circumstances, should be subjected to such degrading treatment.
Ibom Air must ensure its staff are trained to treat passengers with proper decorum at all times. If Emmason had broken the law, security personnel could have been called in to handle the matter lawfully. Instead, her ordeal turned into a public spectacle. Those responsible for assaulting her should face prosecution, and the airline should be compelled to compensate her. Emmason, for her part, should pursue legal redress to reinforce the principle that justice and civility must prevail in Nigeria’s skies.