The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos-Kano

  • NRC begins Lagos-Kano rail services

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said it has commenced operations on Lagos to Kano rail services after two months of Jebba-Mokwa washout out as a result of heavy rainfall.

    Its Director of Operations, Mr Niyi Alli, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday that the corporation has resumed both passengers and freight services along the routes.

    “We have resumed operations after the unfortunate washout incident along Jebba-Mokwa road. The normal services have resumed between Western Line and the North in terms of haulage of freight and passengers. Necessary steps have been taken by the corporation to ensure such disaster be prevented in the nearest future,” he said.

    Alli said not only the railway way affected by the disaster but also the major road between Jebba to Mokwa town.

    He said adequate measures have been put in place to ensure the rail services were improved on a daily basis.

    “Adequate supervisions have been put in place on the tracks to prevent any disaster in future. The development would prevent further incident in order not to have much impact on the train services.

    “We are looking at the various washouts prone areas and ensuring necessary steps taken to prevent future occurrence at the same time minimise the impacts,” Alli said.

    The director said continuous rain has affected the quick execution of the project since June.

    NAN reports that NRC Managing Director Mr Fidet Okiria, had told the newsmen on June 16 that heavy rainfall had flooded and damaged railway line linking Jebba to Makwa routes.

  • Amaechi: Lagos-Kano, PH-Lagos rail line to run before Dec

    Amaechi: Lagos-Kano, PH-Lagos rail line to run before Dec

    •Kaduna Inland Dry Port set for inauguration

    THE Lagos-Kano rail line and the Lagos-Port Harcourt standard gauge will start running before December, Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi said yesterday.

    Hesaid plans are underway to procure additional 20 locomotive trains for cargo services for the routes.

    Amaechi spoke in Kaduna when he inspected the newly built Kaduna Dry Port.

    The minister said the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is to establish a safe and efficient transport system to boost economic activities across the country.

    Amaechi, who was with Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, explained that the Kaduna Inland Dry Port project was designed to decongest the seaports and bring shipping and port services closer to importers and exporters in the hinterlands.

    The port, which has the capacity to handle 29,000 containers per annum when commissioned, will serve as a port of origin and  final destination – meaning it will have the status of international port, including customs, immigration, port health officials, as well as government security agencies.

    Headded that by the time the rail projects are completed, they will largely help importers and exporters of goods to transport them through the rail lines, thereby saving cost, time and guaranteeing safety of their goods.

    The minister said:  “We are doing everything possible to create jobs and whatever the Federal Government needs to do to get the port running will be done.

    “The rail line will soon start running before the end of the year, which will be used to deliver goods at the port.

    “Everything is set for commissioning because we have the land, warehouse and all. But we want to wait for the completion of the roads. We want to wait for more activities in the dry port before we get the President to commission it.

    “I have visited Jos and they are doing a good job and they promised to be ready by June. I have visited Kaduna and what I have seen is commendable.”

    The ministerhailed the efforts and various contributions of Kaduna State government and solicited the government’s contribution towards ensuring that roads are in perfect shape.

    El-Rufai said the project was inherited from the previous administration and assured that the state government would provide the necessary infrastructure needed for effective take-off of the port upon its inauguration.

    He said the government would fix the roads leading to the port and create more exits to avoid congestion usually experienced at the Apapa port.

     

     

  • Buhari’s $5.815bn Chinese loan faces hurdles in Senate

    …Summons Amaechi for explanation

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the National Assembly’s endorsement of $5,815 billion loan suffered setback Tuesday in the Senate.

    The Federal Government planned to raise the loan from China Exim Bank to execute the modernization of Lagos-Kano, Kano-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Calabar rail lines.

    Following a motion by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), the Senate resolved to invite Minister of Transportation to explain why South East corridor rail line was omitted in the areas covered by the proposed loan.

    The upper chamber however rejected a prayer that urged the Senate to suspend consideration of the loan request pending until correction of the apparent oversight of the eastern parts of the country is made.

    The motion entitled “Outright Omission of Eastern Corridor Rail Line in the request for approval of Federal Government 2016-2015 External Borrowing (Rolling Plan)” was hotly debated on the floor of the Senate.

    Abaribe in his lead debate recalled that on 26th of April, 2017 the Federal Government laid before the National Assembly a request seeking an approval for a loan of $5,851 billion from China Exim Bank to execute the modernization of Lagos-Kano, Kano-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Calabar rail segment;

    He observed with dismay, that the above sections of the rail line that the loan was being sought for covers only a section of the country, the western corridor or sections;

    The Abia South lawmaker noted that the Eastern section of the rail segment, which has a link between the South Eastern to North Eastern parts of the rail line is completely excluded from the request;

    He further noted that the loan being a Federal Government borrowing would be paid for by all SECTIONS of the country; therefore every section of the country should be taken into consideration;

    He said that he is aware that there is a Railway Master Plan developed by the Ministry of Transport and of which such plan has not being referred to in the current borrowing plan;

    Abaribe also said that he is aware that for the railway projects to have a meaningful impact on the development of the country; it should cover all parts of Nigeria.

    He expressed concern that the complete exclusion of the Eastern section that links the four zones of South-South, South-East, North-Central and North East and the key cities such as Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Makurdi, Lafia, Gudi, Jos, Bauchi and Maiduguri is inexplicable,

    He prayed that Senate to suspend consideration of the loan request of any guise until the correction of this apparent oversight of the eastern parts of the country.

    He also urged that Senate to invite the Minister of Transport to appear and explain the reasons for the exclusion of the Eastern Corridor of Nigeria’s Rail Lines from the proposed loan from China Exim bank.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who seconded the motion said that the Senate should see injustice done to any section of the country as injustice to all.

    Ekweremadu said that it is on record that the Federal Government had been rehabilitating rail lines in the country with the exception of the rail lines in the South East.

    He noted that the promise of the government that the rail line in the South East would be accommodated in future is doubtful.

    Ekweremadu said that no section of the country should be excluded in development projects.

    But Senator Gbenga Ashafa, (Lagos East) described the information in the motion as “inadequate and inaccurate.”

    Ashafa who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, said that the Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail lines covered the areas listed in the motion.

    He said that Onitsha and Aba areas are also covered in the plan of the rail line.

    He urged the Senate to look at the issue dispassionately insisting that the loan should be secured for the development of the country.

    Ashafa added that government is a continuum.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki said that leadership of the National Assembly took up the issue with President Buhari.

    Saraki said that the meeting of the National Assembly leadership with the executive informed the second letter of the President on the issue.

    He said that the second letter of President Buhari specified that every section of the country would be covered by the loan.

    Saraki said that if the report of the Senate committee on Local and Foreign Debts failed to cover the South East, the Senate would resolve how to deal with the loan.

     

  • Lagos-Kano train derails in Osogbo

    Lagos-Kano train derails in Osogbo

    The cargo section of a passenger train travelling from Lagos to Kano yesterday got detached from the main body and derailed in Osogbo, Osun State.
    Mechanical fault was suspected. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the three wagons attached to the end of the passenger train got loose from the rest of the coaches close to Ifon in Osun State at about 1:45am.
    The pilotless wagons lumbered to the interchange at the terminus around Old Garage area in Osogbo where the wheels got off the track and the wagons tumbled.
    A witness, Mr Biodun Opatoyinbo, said only one Mr Yakubu popularly called Baba Ibeji, a train conductor, was in the cargo area. He was unhurt.
    Opatoyinbo said the train driver was later stopped at Offa in Kwara State.
    He said a man who attempted to offload the goods in the stranded wagons was arrested and detained by the Nigerian Railway Corporation policemen.
    Mrs Iyabo Ogundele also told NAN that the train conductor had been taken to the hospital for proper medical check-up.
    Ogundele said a building close to the rail track at the interchange terminal was also damaged.
    An official of the NRC from Ibadan declined comments when approached.
    The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr Babawale Afolabi, told NAN that NSCDC officers were keeping watch over the three wagons.