Why we increased train fares - Rotimi Amaeci gives hilarious response. (Details)

The former Governor of Rivers State and now minister for transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has addressed the recent development in the increase in  train fares between Kaduna and Abuja.

According to him, the increase in the prices was because majority of those transporting through the railway service are rich.
The minister said this on Thursday at the 3rd edition of the Kaduna Investment Summit.

Rotimi Amaechi also stressed that the intention of the president towards the railway was to transport poor people and low economic class.
“there have been questions on why we increased the train fare between Kaduna and Abuja,” he said during his address at the summit.
“For each locomotive, we spend exactly 56 million naira, when we were charging each passenger N600, we were getting N16 million so all you rich men, we were dashing you N40 million per month. Surprisingly to us, very few poor men transport through those trains. The actual intentions of the Mr. President was to allow us to move poor people from Kaduna to Abuja. For instance If you go to Rigasa, you will see the wealthy men pack their cars and use the railway and chase away the poor people who were suppose to be the original beneficiaries.
“So since it’s the upper economy class that use the railway, we unanimously decided to increase the prices. You know what it’s called in the dictionary term— appropriate pricing. So we price according to your class but it does not affect our subsidy, we still subsidise the railway.”
The minister of transportation also encouraged people to continue holding government responsible and making government accountable saying when locomotives are faulty, he is the first to know.
“What amaze me about the social media is that anytime there is an issue with the railway, the first person to know is me,” he said.
“I see all a lot of videos and I ask people if they realise that I am the minister for transport not the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation so It's not within my office to run the railways.
“In time past, none of you can send a video to a minister but now you send me those videos, it didn't end there, you also instruct me on what to do. I urge you to continue in that light and hold us responsible and accountable to you.”