Buhari’s Aide Defends Obasanjo’s Exclusion From List Of Railway Stations Named After Notable Nigerians

By Daniel Dafe

The Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, has played down the exclusion of Obasanjo’s name from the list of those that the president named key railway stations after.

Recall that the president had earlier named the Agbor train station, the biggest station on the Itapke-Warri line after former president Goodluck Jonathan.

Earlier today, the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi gave the reason for naming the stations after the beneficiaries to be their contributions to the progress and development of their respective communities and the nation at large.

According to the statement, “for the Lagos-Ibadan with extension to the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa rail line, the beneficiaries are: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ( Apapa station), Brigadier- General, Mobolaji Johnson (Ebute Metta Station), Babatunde Raji Fashola ( Agege station), Alhaji Lateef Jakande ( Agbado station) and Prof.Yemi Osinbajo (Kajola station).”

Others are: “Chief Funmilayo Ransom Kuti (Papalanto station), Prof. Wole Soyinka (Abeokuta station), Chief Segun Osoba (Olodo station), Chief Ladoke Samuel Akintola (Omio-Adio station) Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Ibadan station) and Chief Alex Ekwueme ( Operation Control Centre, Ebute Meta).”

For the Itakpe-Ajaokuta/Aladja-Warri Railway, president named “Alhaji Adamu Attah (Itakpe station), Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki (Ajaokuta station), Vice Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (Itogbo station), Brigadier General George Agbazika Innih (Agenebode station), Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro (Uromi station), Chief Tom Ikimi (Ekehen station) and Brigadier General Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, rtd, (Igbanke station).”

Others according to the statement include: “Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, (Agbor station complex), Major General David Ejoor (Abraka station), Olorogun Micheal Ibru (Opara station), Pa Alfred Rewane (Ujevwu station) and Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, rtd (Railway village ,Agbor).”

Bashir’s tweet less than an hour ago read: “In my opinion, this “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s name was missing as President Buhari named key railway stations after prominent Nigerians” shouldn’t be a big deal.”

According to him, “Chief Obasanjo has many things named after him, including one of the popular roads in my State, Kano.”