Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has expressed displeasure over the pace of work on the Kaduna/Kano standard gauge rail line.
Addressing newsmen in Kano during an inspection tour of the project, Amaechi said the federal government has done enough to mobilize the contractor, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC to begin work on the project.
Accompanied by Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Ministry, Federal Ministry of Transportation; Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC among others, the Minister who accused CCECC of playing politics and abandoning construction also threatened to tell Nigerians reasons work is yet to commenced on the Port-Harcourt/Maiduguri narrow gauge even though payment has been made to mobilise contractor to cite.
Amaechi who arrived at the Zawaciki, Kano construction cite at exactly 11:46 AM on Saturday, wondered why no meaningful progress has been made despite the effort of federal government to get the project off to a good start.
He said: “Out of 204km length, only 78km has been graded by CCECC. Truth is CCECC is playing politics; they have abandoned construction. The speed of work is extremely slow. I know they will complain of lack of money. I don’t want to say much until Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting. If nothing changes, I will tell the country what is happening.”
This is even as he described as unacceptable the fact that the contractor was yet to commence work on the Port-Harcourt/Maiduguri rail line, as in his words, “we have given them some money. They ought to have started work by now but if you go there, nothing is happening. It is an old track. We can’t just give you money and you go to sleep,” he added.
Although the Minister may not have been impressed with CCECC; he assured Nigerians that when completed, the project would be of high standard, saying, “quality is guaranteed. Quality is not out problem. Our problem is speed.”
The 204km rail corridor consists of 13 large and medium sized bridges, 17 framed bridges, 60 highway overpasses, 12 pedestrian overpasses and three stations.
Amaechi also visited the Dala Inland Dry Port, Kano where he was obviously pleased with the work done and expressed optimism that in the next few weeks, the port would be ready to commence operation.
Ahmad Rabiu, Managing Director, Dala Inland Dry Port told the Minister that all that was left were electrical fittings and minor works for operations to begin at the port.
He said: “It is possible to commence operation here within the next couple of weeks. By the 31st of this month (March), this place will be ready for commissioning. We are very confident,” a pledge affirmed by the chairman of the Port, Mallam Abubakar Bawuro.
