New Telegraph

Amaechi hails Buhari over prioritisation of rail infrastructure in Nigeria

 

Chukwu David, Abuja

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, Thursday, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment towards building a sophisticated railway infrastructure in Nigeria.
Amaechi commended the President in Lagos, at the flag off of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line for commercial operations.
In his speech, the Minister stated that this was the third rail project commissioned by President Buhari since he came to power in 2015.
He said: “First was the Abuja-Kaduna, Warri-Itekpe and now the Lagos to Ibadan.This Lagos to Ibadan, is one project started and completed by this present administration.”
Amaechi also noted that an approval to commence the construction of Kano-Kaduna rail line had been secured from the president.
He commended the governors of Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states, relevant agencies of government and the media, for their supports in the course of implementation as well as delivery of the project.
He explained that the stations along the the Lagos-Ibadan- Standard Gauge rail line were named after notable personalities in the country, to appreciate them for their contributions to societal development.
Some of those honoured by having  railway stations named after them include Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Professor Wole Soyinka, Mobolaji Johnson, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, among others.
He also revealed that one thousand houses were demolished in Ogun State in the course of executing the rail project.
In his remarks, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on behalf of the state governors, stated that the standard gauge rail project was a testament of the Federal Government’s investment in Lagos and other neighbouring states, expressing gratitude to President Buhari and the Minister of Transportation.
He said: “It is indeed a pride to see a project start and end within the life span of an administration. The social and economic importance of this project can not be over emphasised.
“The commissioning of this rail line has made it possible for people to work in Lagos and live outside Lagos.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Jiang Yigao, said that the company had been in Nigeria for 40 years noting that this was one of the biggest projects it had executed in the country.
The Chairman, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Alhassan Musa Ibrahim, said that though the project encountered a lot of challenges, the persistent support of this government, made its completion possible.
The Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria, Ciu Jianchun, thanked the government of their country for providing funding for the project, saying that the infrastructure would enhance socio-economic development and improve the quality of life of Nigerians.
President Buhari also commended Amaechi, the NRC and the management and staff of the Ministry of Transportation for their tenacity in the course of executing the project.
The President further commissioned the Nigerian Maritime Administration Safety Agency (NIMASA’s) Deep Blue Security Project in Apapa.

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