• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail project nears completion- FG

Lagos-Badagry rail

The on-going construction work and laying of tracks along the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project has reached kilometre DK 133 out of the 156 kilometer, representing 85.2 percent distance of so far covered, while the remaining 23 kilometers will be completed in the next three weeks.

Speaking after inspection on Friday at Kila in Ibadan, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi stated that the on-going rail project is one hundred percent complete.

Amaechi noted that “When we started, this whole area we are driving through was just bushes.They have not cleared the road, we created roads with our cars, but at the end of the day, we are coming to the end of the project with a new vegetation.”

The Minister explained further that, “There used to be green grasses here, trees, waters and creeks, the creek is turned into dry land some of the areas where you have valleys we have build bridges, any area that we did not need to build bridges, we created roads”.

He said: “Areas we could have just moved straight on, we created valleys just to ensure Nigerians are able to move from Lagos to Ibadan.”

“We are going to the end of the track, because we are getting to kilomerer 156 and what remains is 33 kilometers which they can cover in the next three weeks’’.

He revealed that CCECC has confirmed that by the end of May, they will complete track activities on this Lagos to Ibadan. So we are ahead of schedule and hundred percent ahead of schedule. So, “We should be at the end of the outskirt at the end of month’’. He disclosed.

Responding to the state of work at the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail project, the Minister said: “The track has gone to Warri and they are using it now, but they have not finish with the station and I expect that by the end of the year they can finish it, in fact before July.

On whether he has delivered on his mandate and what he can score himself, Amaechi said, “How can I score myself. Have you ever seen where a teacher scores himself or students score themselves. I really don’t know’’.

“But, all I know is that, the President, you and Nigerians are available and who can score any minister. I don’t know whether we kept to the directive of Mr. President, only the president can say, you have kept to my directive, or Nigerians can say, you have done well or done badly.

On his part, the Director Rail, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mohammed Babakobi reiterated that they are very near to the station and are about 20 Kilometers away from Ibadan station.

“We expect that in the next few weeks, we should have laid this track up to the station at Ibadan which is the terminal point of the Lagos-Ibadan alignment”, he concluded.

 

MIKE OCHONMA AND STELLA ENENCHE, Abuja