RAILWAY: Amaechi, Chair of NRC Board and MD Defy The Rains To Resume Inspection
Oru Leonard
The Minister of Transportation, Rt Honourable Rotimi Amaechi alongside the Chairman, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Board, Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan and The MD, Mr Fidet Okhiria on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 defied the rains and messy grounds to conduct an inspection tour of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project with media.
In an interview with Hon Amaechi during the tour, he said, the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), working on the 156km modern rail project has done made some progress amid covid-19 pandemic but did not meet his target. The Minister had in August said December deadline for the completion of the three mega stations at Ebute Metta, Kajola and Omi-Adio in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states and a September deadline for seven minor stations.
“They (the contractors) didn’t meet my target for this inspection. My target was by September 15, they will finish the minor stations. But they gave an excuse that because of COVID-19, they don’t have enough engineers on site. As for me, I want this job done because I want to move out of Lagos.
“By end of October, they should finish the minor stations and by the end of December, they will finish the three major stations excluding Apapa but we are insisting that a special task force is set up to complete it within the same time as the of projected.
The rail tracks for the 156km rail project have been completed but the stations are still under construction.
The Transportation Minister explained further on the progress at the Lagos/ Ibadan railway project. He said that in some of the 10 stations along the line, the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), had finished doors, windows, roofing, flooring, ceiling and lighting.
“Olodo (Station) is just near the completion. At Kajola, what is outstanding is just painting. There are changes at Ebute-Metta. There was improvement in Kajola, Olodo, and Ebute-Meta, though, not to the extend I expect that it should be.
On hawkers trading along the rail tracks that were observed at Agege and Oshodi stations around and on the rail line, Amaechi said the law and its enforcement will check the vice.
On what the Minister is doing on lack of level crossing gate on the Lagos corridor .
“There are 11over pass and one under pass at Agege .. We will do six, Lagos state government will do six. We have done one, Lagos state has done one remaining 10 and we are constructing as we are working. So that both cars and human beings will have access across the rail without having to go on the rail”, he revealed.
He expressed the belief that everything would be put in place before the end of December for movement to passengers and goods.
On the virtual commissioning of Itapke Warri, Amaechi stated
“We are ready, the president is ready. Its just that an accident happened last week.”
On other projects, the minister said that apart from Ibadan to Kano rail line, the ministry had sent to the cabinet for approval of the award of two railway contracts; Port Harcourt–Onne -Maiduguri; Kano-Maradi Railway and Lagos to Calabar.
On commencement of operations on the Lagos- Ibadan railway business Mr Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of NRC, said that the corporation not fixed any date for the skeletal commercial operation.
“We still discussing with the contractor on when to commence skeletal operations on the Lagos-Ibadan Rail line in a manner that it not affect their work on the facility”, Okhiria said, adding that the rolling stocks had been delivered, but the corporation was discussing some modalities, including safety.
