By Odimmegwa johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Government has said that it will commence full commercial
operations on the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Railway after three months of free
train test ride even as Stations are nearing completion.
The Minister of Transportation, Rt . Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this
to newsmen on Thursday 11th April, 2019 at Agbor Railway Station in Delta
State shortly after the inspection tour of the project.
Amaechi directed the Nigerian Railway Cooperation (NRC) to fix the
commensurate price for the Itakpe-Warri railway and stop the free train rides
forthwith.
He said “The commercial activities should resume fully today, I have already
directed the MD to start collecting money”.
The Minister further informed that the construction of Stations at Agbor is
nearing completion and will be fully completed by September or October this
year.
Hear him: “The station buildings are nearing completion at Agbor and Julius
Berger have assured that they will be out of site by June, then, CCECC would be
left to do the track work and when they finish the track work, this place will be
up for use”
The Minister continued: “We have completed the track work, what would be
outstanding are the stations and by September or October they would have
completed the stations if they continue with the same pace of work they are
currently doing”.
Amaechi further added that by the time they finished building the Stations, the
track as well as offices would have been completed and it will pave the way for
the companies that are mining Iron Ore to move their products and passengers
freely by using the track unhindered.
“By the time they finish, there would be track, offices and the companies mining
iron ore would be able to move their goods and passengers would be able to use
the train when completed” According to him, “none of the station buildings have been completed; although
they are at different levels of completion and some have finished the structural
work, just the finishing work is remaining”.
Furthermore, the Minister affirmed that he was impressed by the progress of
work despite the fact that Government is yet to pay the contractors for some
already completed jobs.
“Beyond the fact that we are owing them, am impressed at the level of work. If
you recall, the first time we came, this place used to be bushy, no business
activities and by this second visit, the offices are almost completed”, he
explained.