By Steve Oni, Ilorin

 The  federal government has enjoined Nigerians to prevail on the National Assembly to approve the 30 billon dollars loan proposal that was submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari to enable government execute  key policy programmes and reflate the economy.

 The  Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, made the call in Ilorin, the Kwara  state capital,  during  the north central edition of the Town Hall meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

 Amaechi  assured  Nigerians  that  the  Buhari  administration  would  deliver  on its  promises, saying that the time for excuses is over.

 He said : "We will not disappoint Nigerians, if anyone tells you we will that person is deceiving you. Although you won't  believe it if we tell you that we are also suffering just because we are ministers.

 " I think the message you want us to hear is that things are difficult and I can say government has heard you. But we need to correct certain wrong impressions  they are giving you.

 "We knew when we took over that there were challenges. As chairman of the Governors Forum we knew there was corruption, we saw how people were carting money away in bags, but many of you didn't believe me when I said that. You will recall that I started the issue of missing $29 billion  and then the arguments began and up till now we dont know what happened. Even if it was $10 billion pounds and it was recovered just imagine how far that would have helped us today.

 " But we are no longer going to complain about the challenges we met in office. But don't forget that we are not Jesus Christ, we didn't promise we would solve our problems in one year, otherwise you would have given us one year mandate. But you gave us four years, so wait till that four years to complain."

 On the $30 billion loan request, the Minister noted that the railway sector is supposed to get $6.1 billion from the package for the building of standard gauge railways across the country.

 He said the  loan for the sector had been approved by the Chinese government but was being delayed by the refusal of the federal legislators to approve it. He drew attention to the multiplier effects of the project if the loan was approved.

 He said: "Ask the National Assembly to kindly approve the borrowing plan sent to them. As citizens of this country please help us to ask them to approve the plan.

 " China has already approved the loan, the only thing limiting us is the refusal of the National Assembly to approve the plan. As citizens of Nigeria in the north central zone, please help us ask the National Assembly to approve the plan."

 In his contribution, Minister of State for  Mineral Development,  Alhaji Abubakar Bwari explained that the federal government was committed to the revival of Ajaokuta Steel Mills, pointing out that an audit of the company is being currently undertaken after which interested investors would be invited to make bids.

 He explained that government could not hand over the project to its  initial developers because the consortium that built the project came from the old  USSR and are no longer under one entity.

 Others at the event include Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, his counterpart from the Water Resources Ministry, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu,  Professor Isaac Adewole(Health), Aisha Abubakar (Industry, Trade and Investment).