From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The federal government has dismissed the speculation that it is using various rail projects as bait ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Honourable Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, made the comment during the inspection of the ongoing construction corridor of the Kano-Kaduna rail project, in Yako Area Council of Kuri Local Government Area, Kano State.
Amaechi declared that the vigor at which the federal government is pushing to connect the country through its radical ongoing rail projects should not be misconstrued as a ploy to sway Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“I have told people, don’t politicize railway project; don’t make it look as if there are political motives behind the construction. As a government, we are determined to deliver on projects once the resources are there,” he quipped.
Commenting on the compensation, the Minister maintained that all affected lands belonging to individuals or otherwise have been been fully settled.
His words: “The first item on the implementation strategy for the 206 km project was provision for complete compensation. We are daring anyone that has not been fully settled to write to the Ministry.”
On the reason for the inspection, Amaechi said: “We are here basically to find out whether Messrs. China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), has commenced work and how far they have gone because they have a target of completing this at the end of 2022 or in the first quarter of 2023.”
The former governor of Rivers State further announced that the initial project design and cost for the Kano-Kaduna rail project to Federal Executive Council was for the construction of a single track but directed it should be double track as is the case with Lagos-Ibadan.
“Luckily for us, they are doing the formation as double track, so we will just include the track laying to conclude the contract,” he said.
The Minister equally visited the site for the University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State where the CCECC is embarking on a $50 million learning citadel to provide value chain and backbone for the ongoing rail projects across the country when completed.
Amaechi, however expressed dismay at the level of work which was divided into phases one and two, comprising just a few buildings instead of delivering the whole buildings as was agreed. “We have invited them to the office (Abuja) on Tuesday, (January 4, 2022) to explain why instead of taking the buildings at the same time, they are taking just two hostels, two classrooms, staff quarters, one laboratory and one office complex. That is not enough,” he warned.
The Minister while explaining further said that it was agreed that Messrs CCECC was to do a project worth $50 million, both management and construction inclusive but they did the contrary by breaking the project into phase 1 and phase 2.
This he warned was not acceptable as it would take about 10 years to complete if handled in that manner, hence the need for the meeting.
The Minister later paid courtesy visits on the 15th Emir of Kano, HRH Aminu Ado Bayero and the Emir of Daura, Umar Farouq Umar, at their royal enclaves in Kano and Daura respectively.
On the Minister’s team for the inspection were’: the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the Chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) Board, Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan Musa, the Managing Director, NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, the Deputy Managing Director, CCECC, Jacques Liao and other top management staff of the Ministry.