AMAECHI INSISTS TO DELIVER LAGOS-IBADAN RAILWAY MODERNIZATION PROJECTS TO NIGERIANS IN DECEMBER.

 

The Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has affirmed that the December deadline for the completion of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Railway modernisation projects remains sacrosanct. The Minister made this affirmation during his inspection tour of the railway project in lbadan over the weekend.

 

 

Amaechi who expressed optimism that the projects will be completed by the contractors handling the construction works in December 2018 as scheduled but admitted that the slow pace of works at the site was due to rains which according to him affected the civil work aspects of the projects.

 

“l am not impressed with the laying of tracks. We agreed for 11 kilometres but they have laid only three. They have apologised and promised that before the next meeting which is scheduled for 23rd July 2018, they would have  done more  say ten and add it to three already laid, that will be 13 kilometres” he said. He outlined the importance of the Lagos-lbadan Railway modernisation projects to the economy saying it would create multiplier effect on reducing cost of production and distribution of goods and services, including agricultural goods. He added that the Federal Government is fully committed to completing the project on schedule.

 

The Minister, in the course of the inspection observed that only three Nigerian Engineers were working on the railway project. He charged the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), to employ more qualified Nigerian Engineers in the Lagos-Ibadan railway project insisting that he must see them at his next project monitoring visit. He noted that having enough Nigerian Engineers will help to fast tracking the construction works as well as to understudy the activities of the Chinese company.

 

 

 

According to him “With what you do here, you just want to build and go? Employ more Nigerian Engineers before my next visit. I want to see the Engineers they have hired, they must come with their certificates, I want to see it.”

 

However, the Minister had a stop-over to inspect the level of work at the new building of the All Saints Primary School, Otere Ikereku, Abeokuta which was on the right of way of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line. He advised that the doors and windows of the new building be changed to aluminium products to give it a befitting outlook.

 

 

 

Yetunde Sonaike (Mrs)
Director (PPR)
5th July 2018