The Federal Government has urged China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the Rehabilitation and Construction of the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway to speed up work on the pace of project.
Speaking during the Ministerial Inspection tour of the project today in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said: “move forward. Our expectation is to get to Enugu by August/September, in this narrow Guage Line”.
The Minister further said: ” clear the land so that in two weeks time, you would have cleared more than pass Mile one market to Elelenwo. The more you move quickly out of the South-South, the better for you”.
In order to ensure the target for track laying to Enugu by August/September 2022 is met, Amaechi asked the contractor to increase the number of equipment and personnel on site, saying: ” if you have enough equipment and personnel on site, the better for you”. Get more equipment and personnel. Have a gang in Enugu and Port Harcourt”.
He also called on the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Eastern District, Manager to restrict encroachment on NRC, land by the Rivers State government and marketers, as the land belongs to Federal Government.
On the issue of security, the Minister said:
“you need more Army”. He therefore, asked the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani to write to the Chief of Army Staff to deploy more military men to the site for security, to avoid workers being kidnapped.
Also speaking, the Permanently Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, who was not so pleased that there was not much to justify the amount money already released to the contractor,, directed that a detailed workplan be submitted to her office soonest.
Eric Ojiekwe
Director, Press & PR
10th April, 2022
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