ABAKILIKI, AWKA ROUTES INCLUDED IN THE EASTERN RAILWAY CORRIDOR- AMAECHI
……..Commends CCECC for successful laying of rail track at Apapa port.
Oru Leonard
The Minister for Transportation in Nigeria, Rt. Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has assured Nigerians that the Eastern railway corridor, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri will now have a branch route to Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Awka in Anambra State.
The Minister stated this on Saturday during the Apapa/Ibadan railway inspection ride in the company of Mrs Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary Ministry of transportation, the Board Chairman, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr Ibrahim Alhassan, Engr Fideth Okhiria and other stake holders.
Addressing Journaliists at the Ibadan Railway Station, Amaechi noted that the extension of the rail route is part of government efforts to connect the entire country by rail.
“The Eastern railway corridor will now have a branch route to Abakaliki and Awka. President Muhammadu Buhari will perform the ground breaking ceremony for the Eastern rail corridor on 9th March, 2021″, he disclosed
The Minister also commended the level of work done, “as you can see, the laying of the track has been successfully done into Apapa port.
“The stations are completed too, what is left at most of the stations is the fixing of bulbs and little things like that. If we tell CCECC to get this place ready for commission in the next two weeks, this place will be ready,” he stated.
Amaechi also urged the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other Agencies at the port to ensure that the train is highly utilized in lifting cargo when the rail project is fully commissioned.
Chairman NRC Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan speaking to journalist during the inspection expressed satisfaction that the port had been reached at last.
“Under the operating environment we find ourselves because of Covid-19, I can say there is good progress ,especially today we have been able to enter the port, we have gone to the TL terminal we have gone to the ENL terminal This is the first time we are doing this so it is a landmark achievement”.
He however complained about the activities of truck drivers who park on the tracks which Constitutes a nuisance.
The completion of the track at the port means that cargo can be moved from the Apapa port by rail all the way to Ibadan, which will help decongest traffic at Apapa.
