FG ready to partner Abia on railway

Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has accepted an offer by the Abia State government to extend the newly opened mass transit rail system from Aba to Umuahia and Isikwuato.

The offer was made on Wednesday, at the district headquarters of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the commissioning of the nation’s first mass transit rail system, which operates between Port Harcourt and Aba.

Abia governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, represented by his deputy, Ude Okochukwu, had demanded for an extension of the good news between Port Harcourt and Aba to get to Umuahia and Isikwuato.

The governor said this would help the teeming population of traders and farm produce dealers that abound in the zone to move their goods and reach more markets.

To encourage the partnership, Ikpeazu offered to build the rail tracks and purchase the air-conditioned coaches and hand them over to the NRC to operate.

The governor said: “This will help to revamp the economy of the towns on the railway axis and the Abia economy. It will also fill the gap in the transportation mode (air, water, road and rail) such that people can switch from one to another.”

Putting his appeal strongly before the Federal Government through the minister, the governor said: “Consider a Port Harcourt – Isiukwuato mass transit rail system. We want to work with the Federal Government to bring this about and rebuild the economy of the nation. This is beyond politics or party affiliation.”

The governor noted that the event in Port Harcourt was significant because of the link between two important commercial cities (Aba and Port Harcourt), saying the federal roads in the region were in shambles.

He also noted that the rail system, which ought to carry the weight of the transportation industry, had suffered decades of neglect until recently when a new lease of life had been breathed into it.

The demand by the Abia State government seemed huge as it was backed by a big delegation of the highest ranking traditional rulers and monarchs from the state led by the present and former chairmen of the South East and Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Ezeudo 1 of Mgboko Ngwa (Ekperechi Dick) and I.A Ikonne, respectively.

Ezeudo 1 added a note of strength, saying the people of Abia State were excited because of the decision by a son of Rivers State (Amaechi) to start his action in Aba and Port Harcourt.

He said: “You have shown that dry bones shall rise again and that charity should begin at home.”

In his response and acceptance of the Abia offer, the minister admitted that there should be no politicking in issues of development, saying the naira had no PDP or APC on it.

Amaechi said: “I am ready to work with Abia State government in developing the rail system,” and declared that the flagging off in Port Harcourt marked a huge step in the plan to revamp Nigeria’s rail system.

In his speech, Adeseyi Sijuwade, managing director of the NRC, explained the choice of the PH – Aba route for Nigeria’s first-ever mass transit rail scheme, saying, “Movement relating to business transactions within the Ariaria International Market in Aba and other markets like Oil Mill, Mile One, School Road, and Diobu markets in Port Harcourt are done mostly by road.

“In both cities, booming shopping centres and new markets where fabric materials, plastics, and motor parts are sold are not fully patronised due to bad roads between Aba and Port Harcourt.”

He went on: “In addition, Port Harcourt is renowned for being the homestead of petroleum and gas industries and a commercial nerve centre of the South-South showcasing full scale inter-modal trades with the presence of an international airport, inland container depots, seaports and petroleum production bases. The associated business activities undoubtedly require the mass movement of people by rail.”

He gave the schedule, saying mass transit would haul 68 passengers at a time and operate four trips between the two cities from 5am to 8.15pm, starting from Aba. The coaches are air-conditioned and the train would run at 120km per hour.