Amaechi frowns at contractor handling Lagos-Ibadan railway project

Rotimi Amaechi

By Amina Isah, Abuja

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has described as embarrassing the delay by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation in completing the 10 railway stations along the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line.

The Minister had earlier promised to deliver the project by April 2020.

Amaechi made the remarks on Friday at the Abeokuta rail station under construction, during the monthly inspection of the on-going Lagos to Ibadan Rail project.

According to him, CCECC, the contractor handling the 156km rail line, has reduced the pace of work between the last two inspections in November and December.

“The delay is becoming an embarrassment and I think we need to meet with the CCECC. We cannot continue like this. The speed has reduced drastically this time, we need to meet with the management of CCECC. We have a problem with CCECC honestly,” the minister said.

Amaechi, who expressed displeasure over the pace of work at Agbado, Kajola, Papalanto and Abeokuta stations said the contractor had promised to finish the stations within three months.

The minister, who insisted that the stations should be completed by the end of January 2020, urged the contractor to engage workers who were ready to work.

He said block work, flooring, plastering and pipe laying should have moved forward than the stage they were.

Amaechi urged the contractor not to wait until April when the project was expected to be inaugurated before completing them.

He said three years after the inauguration of the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail line, the contractor was still at the site working on power.

According to him, the Ibadan-Kano standard gauge rail line was billed for commencement in 2020, so all the projects comprising track laying, stations, power should be taken at the same time.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the track laying has moved from Iju Station to around Agege and work was still ongoing at the Lagos axis.