Senator Shehu Sanni, former Kaduna lawmaker, has taken hit at Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over hike in train fare. Sanni described the proposed increment as “unjust, unfair, soulless, and insensitive” in a tweet, on Monday.
“Make things easier for the people when you are on top of the rock of power, you will meet with them when you are back to the base of life,” Sanni further advised.
Transportation Minister Amaechi had announced the train fare hike, last Saturday, during a facility tour of Itakpe to Warri rail line project. He attributed the increment to the need for train passengers to maintain physical distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The minister explained that complying with the non-pharmaceutical advisory requires each train coach to ferry fewer passengers than it usually did. He said the pandemic had forced the train services operators to admit 44 instead of the usual 88 passengers.
Aside the increment, Amaechi had also announced President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to name the rail line after former Nigerian leader, Goodluck Jonathan.