“Don’t slow us down, Amaechi charges NRC Board Members”

 By Odimmegwa Johnpeter  / Abuja 

The Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has charged the newly inaugurated members of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Board Members by their actions as Board members of the Agency ‘not to slow down’ the work of the Ministry and Agency in the execution of President Muhammadu Buhari Aministration’s strategy for rail development in the Country.

“We should continue from where the last Chairman stopped. With him and the MD, NRC, we were able to effectively tackled critical problems such as, the Water pipe borne, gas as well as sewage lines that were obstructing construction works on the Lagos axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Railway project. Please, don’t slow us down”, he pleaded.

Amaechi gave this charge on Thursday during the inauguration of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, (NRC) Board Members led by the Chairman, Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan, in the Ministry’s Conference room, Abuja.

The Minister reiterated that as construction works continue on the Rail line, the track laying would be completed by end of May, 2019 and by the end of December 2019, appreciable progress of work would have been achieved up to Apapa Seaports.

He stated that the congestion being experienced on daily basis at the Apapa Ports are ‘man made’ assuring that as soon as the Lagos-Ibadan extension to Apapa Ports is achieved, all the cargoes coming through the Apapa ports into country will  now be transported via the rail line and this will automatically terminated the perennial gridlock at Apapa Ports.

The Minister added “as Governing Board Members, you are responsible for setting out the parastatal’s economic, financial, operational administrative policies in accordance with Government policy directives aimed at assisting the Corporation to achieve its mandate.You are also charged with the responsibilities for measuring performance against targets and introducing broad policy measures that will curtail any deviations to ensure that the targets are achieved”.

According to the Minister, while cautioning the Board Members not to involve themselves in the day-to-day management of the NRC, he enjoined them to engender harmonious working relationship with the Management of the Corporation in order to achieve the objectives of the Government.

He further added “you are strictly advised to acquaint yourselves with relevant Government Circulars and directives on relationship of Board with their Agencies for a good harmonious working relationship. You are to note that in line with the Guides to Administrative Procedures in the Federal Public Service (Chapter 7), the Minister may give to the Board of Directors directions of general character or relating generally to particular matters to the statutory body with regard to discharge of the Board’s functions”.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Sabiu Zakari in his welcome address stated that section 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic empowered the Hon. Minister to appoint Board Members of the Agency under the purview of his Ministry.

According to him, in line with this provision, the Hon. Minister will swore-in 26 Board members of the Board of Directors of the NRC who had been drawn from different states of the Country to join hands with the Management of NRC to strategically position the Agency in achieving the mandate of the present Administration in the rail sector of the economy.

The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Board of Directors of the NRC, Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan who led other members to the inauguration ceremony, gave the vote of thanks and in eulogising the doggedness of the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Minister in his efforts at repositioning the rail sector said “it takes more than a Gold braid to make a Captain” by being the driving force behind the successes that has been so far recorded in the Railway development in the Country, particularly, the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, ongoing Lagos-Ibadan rail line and others.

The Board members are;

Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan                       –           Chairman

Mr. Kayode Isiak Opeifa                     –           Member

Hon. Dele Obadina                             –           Member

Malam Idris Waziri Othman               –           Member

Hon. Idahosa E. Charles                      –           Member

Hon. Gabriel E.            Edi                   –           Member

Musa Bayero Muhammad                  –           Member

Alh. Abubakar Bobboyi J.                    –           Member

Hon. Adetunji Taiwo O.                       –           Member

Maj. Gen. Chioba Ekwenugo              –           Member

AIG. Umar U. Ambursa (Rtd).             –           Member

Engr. Yakubu W. Bello                                    –           Member

Paul Godwon Haruna                          –           Member

Hon. Musa Mahmod                           –           Member

Sen. Maitama Yusuf                            –           Member

Prof.    Obiaraeri Nnamdi O.              –           Member

Dr. Helen Gabriel Longpet                  –           Member

Mr. Augustine C. Umahi                     –           Member