The House Committee on Land Transport has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, to appear before it over the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment of August 25.
The decision followed the minister’s failure to honour an earlier invitation by the committee to address the incident, which involved 618 passengers.
Committee Chairperson, Blessing Onuh, described Alkali’s absence as “unacceptable,” stressing that lawmakers had cut short their recess to address what she called a national tragedy.
“A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. Our brothers and sisters were endangered, yet the minister chose to snub the parliament. We take strong exception to this. This is not a joke,” she said.
Deputy House Spokesman, Philip Agbese, accused the minister of incompetence and disregard for Nigerians. “This action clearly shows he is not competent for the job entrusted to him by the President. If he fails to show up, Nigerians should know there is effectively no Minister of Transportation in this country,” he warned.
Rep. Cyril Hart also condemned Alkali’s conduct, noting that as a former parliamentarian, the minister ought to respect the legislature. “Over 618 Nigerians could have died. For him to shun this committee when Nigerians need answers is a betrayal,” he said.
The committee unanimously resolved to suspend its hearing until the minister appears in person, warning that continued defiance would be reported directly to President Bola Tinubu.
