By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has on Monday disclosed that the rush on the Lagos-Ibadan railway project was not to score cheap point in the 2019 elections, adding that he knew his party would win the elections.
This is just as he pointed out, that he is both Minister of Transportation for the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noting that the pressure to complete the work has nothing to do with party affiliations.
The Minister who made these known in Ibadan while inspecting the Lagos-Ibadan railway project, said, “The rush is not because of APC. As a minister, I am Minister of transport for APC and PDP. It was not about APC, I always knew that we would win”.
He however noted that his concern is about the excess congestion at the Apapa seaport as well as the incessant gridlock in Lagos state.
According to him, “My problem is that there is too much congestion at the seaport, there is gridlock in Lagos. The moment we finish this segment before December, we will have to face Apapa, then nearly all the cargoes will be all on the track.
“That way, we will resolve the gridlock and congestion at the seaport which will create employment and economic growth which is the target of the government. So it is not about APC”, he emphasized.
Speaking on the pace of work, he noted that kilometer 157.5 of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project was reviewed, but the pace of work from kilometre 110 to 121 and 124 to 157 appear to be slow, adding that the contractors have promised to increase their speed which is being stalled by lack of equipment.
He revealed also, that a target was given to the contractor to increase work up to Kilometer 121 and 130 before May 8, noting that the stations, signaling and telecommunication will be looked into at the next meeting.
“We have given them a target that by the next inspection which is between the 8 and 9 of May, they should get to kilometre 121 and 130. Also at the next meeting, we need to look at the stations, signaling and telecommunications.
“If we finish the tracks, because we have agreed that the tracks will finish between May ending and first week of June and there are no stations nor signalling, we will still have to go back to do that” he noted.
