Speaking to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, said the contract was for the smooth running of the rail lines.
He said, “I have the approval of the cabinet to procure rolling stocks, operational and maintenance equipment for the new railway projects corridors in Ibadan to Kano standard gauge and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge rail lines to the tune of $2,810,574,064.92, including 7.5 percent tax.
“Rolling stocks are consumables for the maintenance and operation of the railway. So, currently, anytime you hear of break down, which was discussed in the cabinet, it’s because maybe we have run out of rolling stock and we’ve also run out of stock for the railway.
“So, with this, we will replace all the rolling stock. They are essentially the consumables we use to maintain the trains, coaches, and locomotives”, he explained.
On his part, the minister of education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the council approved the contract to enable NECO print materials for its Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) at the cost of N4,965,986,573.89.