Recession: Lawyer Wants Power, Rail Sector Revamped

Mr Clifford Onuora, a legal practitioner, has advised the Federal Government to resolve the power supply problem and improve works on rail projects across the country to fully get out of economic recession.

Onuora, a business lawyer, gave this advice on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview with the our Reporters.

According to the lawyer, it appears that Nigeria is getting out of the recession because the crude oil price has increased at the international market.

“So what are we doing to ensure that the price does not drop again because apparently if the price drops, we will plunge into another recession.

“The government must resolve the power issue, as this is the major way to ensure growth and prevent the country from going into another recession even if the oil price drops again.

“I disagree with a school of thought that it seems every effort put into the power sector never yields fruit. That is not true, the power issue in Nigeria is not insurmountable.

“Power moves industries and leads to the establishment of more industries including small scale businesses. There is hardly any enterprise or business in Nigeria that can thrive fully without power supply”.

He noted that to achieve the desired results, the private sector should work with the government, adding that anything short of a collaboration from both sectors would prove abortive.

The legal practitioner lauded the work done on the rail project so far but stated that Nigeria was too big a country to boast of rail transportation only from Abuja to Kaduna.

“I remember growing up in Makurdi, the train station was just behind our house and as children, we were always excited when a train arrived, we would run to look at it and wave at the passengers.

“What has happened to that railway station in Makurdi and what about the rail tracks? Train technology has improved now with some countries, having high-speed trains.

“Nigeria cannot revive Abuja-Kaduna rail line and go to sleep. I know that work on the rail system is ongoing but it seems to be at a snail speed. The transport ministry needs to speed up things,” he said.

He noted that when the rail networks, especially in the major cities are re-established, it would speed up economic activities in the country with a double digit growth.