Covid-19 is not an excuse, Amaechi blasts CCECC on Lagos-Ibadan Railway

August 16 09:56 2020 by The Ajasa News Print This Article

By Martin Odiete, Abuja

…Targets Jan.2021 For Completion… Project Excites Info Minister

Minister of Transportation,  Rt.Hon.  Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on Saturday tasked CCECC to increase the pace of their work at the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project with a view to completing it by Jan. 2021, stressing that covid-19 pandemic must no-longer be used as an excuse.

Ameachi noted that since covid-19 has come to stay, government projects would not be delayed because of it, declaring further that government is pushing to complete ongoing projects and deliver to Nigerians before 2023.

“What I know is that we will run from now until the President commission the project. I am not Covid-19, for those  who have being following us, you know that for every stations, we had about 150 to 200 workers, now we have 10 to 20 workers on site.

“What we have agreed with them is that they should increase the number of workers and manage Covid very well, meaning, that they should come with their face masks, face shields and come to work, because it appears that Covid has come to stay. 

“Government has to run and we have to deliver our promises to the people because that’s why we were elected and we don’t have time. If we just seat down in our houses and wait for Covid to end, it may end in 2023, lets hope that by January, this project will be ready.”

Speaking on the Ibadan-Kano rail project, Amaechi said government would commence skeletal activities before the loan was approved.

 
“We are ready for the commencement of Ibadan to Kano, we are waiting for the approval of  the loan, when the loans come, you will see skeletal activities even before the loan comes, I have directed them to start skeletal services, we may not need the stations to begin. 

However, the  Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed commended the level of work done on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line. He expressed satisfaction that monies borrowed by the federal government for the rail projects were judiciously utilized.

According to him, “for those who are asking where we are burning the money we borrowed, you can now see where the money is. We made a promise to Nigerians and this is one of the manifestations of what we have been able to do, adding, ” Nigerians should come and see for themselves what we are doing with the money we borrowed. I am very excited because of the work done here.” He said.