.
The Lagos-Kano railway line would in six weeks resume full
operations after two years of suspended rail transport activities by the
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The NRC was forced to suspend rail operations on the busy commercial
route when the crucial Akerri bridge linking the North and Southern
Nigeria was washed away by flash floods. But following the recent
financing intervention of its rehabilitation by the Subsidy Reinvestment and
Empowerment programme (SURE-P) Committee, the NRC has announced that rail
operations would commence in six weeks when the Akerri bridge would be
completed.
In a press release signed by the Head ,Corporate Communications of SURE P,Mary Ikoku,top officials of Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P), Nigeria Railway Corporation and Project Implementation Unit of the Federal Ministry of Transport disclosed this to journalists after a week-long inspection tour of on-going projects in train stations across the country.
In a press release signed by the Head ,Corporate Communications of SURE P,Mary Ikoku,top officials of Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P), Nigeria Railway Corporation and Project Implementation Unit of the Federal Ministry of Transport disclosed this to journalists after a week-long inspection tour of on-going projects in train stations across the country.
SURE-P Committee member and Sub-committee convener on Railways, Mr.
Chike Okogwu, who led a team of inspectors drawn from a pool of
professional engineers of PIU and NRC, after a week-long inspection tour
of ongoing projects in train stations across the country explained that there
was urgency to get the railways back on track in line with President Jonathan’s
transformation agenda.
He said “This trip is to ascertain the first phase of work that has been
done, following SURE-P’s early release of funds to get railway back on track”.
Okogwu further stated that having been mandated by the presidency to get
railway back on track, SURE-P injected massive funds into the otherwise
crumbling transport sector and ensured that work commenced almost immediately
in a dozen sites across the country even as he added that the work done so far,
particularly on Akerri Bridge that has been the major challenge in rail
transport between the commercial cities of Lagos and Kano was a satisfactory
development.
“Today, I am glad to announce to Nigerians that the Akerri Bridge end
has been tackled.
“We want to thank the Federal Government for intervening in the
Akerri Bridge. Work has been going on and the contractors needed to be paid to
energize work there. About four weeks ago, there was a minor challenge at
Bridge 73. We are assuring Nigerians that in the next six weeks, the bridge
would’ve been done and then the lines will open up and goods and passengers
will move freely.” Okogwu assured
In another expression of satisfaction with accomplished work level,
Chairman of the PIU, Engr Eric Onyeiwu, said the week-long verification
exercise has not just enabled the team to evaluate work-in-progress at the
various sites, but useful for proper decision taking.
Although members of the PIU griped about the slow pace of work by some
of the contractors on site particularly work on Asa community in Aba,
contracted to Esser Nigeria Ltd, they unanimously were delighted by the overall
performance of the contractors.
Oyeiwu contended “Many of the contractors are performing well. But we
also have issues to sort out with a few of them. We are expecting NRC to give
us more detailed information about those areas we are not contented with.
“There is a noticeable improvement in the quality of work done,
improvement by the commitment of NRC, improvement by the contractors and others
involved in the projects.”
He informed that some IPCs submitted by contractors do not tally with
some IPCs with the PIU adding “We don’t think we will give approval without
details of the valuation.”
On his part, Engineer Ahmadu, director of Civil Engineering Department
of NRC, thanked SURE-P for their prompt intervention. “SURE-P’s intervention is
excellent and timely because all the projects were doomed for disaster because
of inadequate funding. But with SURE-P’s intervention we are certain that all
these contracts will be executed.”
The delegation started off their visit from Lagos and went through Port
Harcourt, Aba, Makurdi, Lafia, Kafanchan and Gombe and ended on inspections at
Akerri Bridge and Brigde 73 near Minna in Niger state.
.