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Tag: Rotimi Amaechi

  • Amaechi, Bello, others bag Transport, Tourism awards

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has bagged a ministerial award for mass transportation infrastructure development alongside Mr Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) for outstanding transport regulator of the year.

    The award was given at the National Tourism Transport Summit and Expo organised by the Institute for Tourism Professionals (ITP) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Receiving the award on behalf of the minister, Mrs Grace Atiegoba, Director Reform Coordination and Service Improvement said that the award was well deserved.

    According to him, there have being alot of improvement in the transport sector especially in the area of rail compared to what it used to be before.

    Amaechi said that shared passion of the Federal Government and his team, have transformed and improve the economy with the various infrastructural development in the country.

    Dr Anthonia Ekpa, the Director Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration was given an award of the outstanding contribution to the development of mass transportation policy and infrastructure development.

    She said that looking at the number of those who received the award under the ministry of transportation alone, shows the level of commitment and work the ministry was doing and it’s contributions to the economy.

    She said that Amaechi has gained recognition all over the world because of his passion and contribution in improving the land transport and policies.

    Ekpa, further said that transport and tourism are like siamese twins that develops with each other.

    Alhaji Samsudeen Apelogun, National President of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (AACCOMORAN) was given an award on leadership award in promoting urban mobility.

    Read Also: Lagos-Ibadan rail’ll ready in June – Amaechi

    He said that the award was dedicated to his 12 million members nationwide.

    “I really want to appreciate the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Dr Anthonia Ekpa, Director road transport and Mass transit Administration for their contributions in the sector.

    “I really don’t know what I have done to deserve this award but I promise to do more in taking my members to a greater height by eradicating all the wrong perceptions the society have about it.”

    Others awardees are Mr Freeborn Okhiria, Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on the outstanding performance in land and public transportation, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Director General NIMASA, for outstanding maritime operations regulator of the year (Sea/offshore), Hajiya Hadiza Usman, for outstanding maritime operations regulator of the year (ports/ashore).

    NAN

  • Rivers always in the news for wrong reasons, says Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that Rivers State is now almost always in the news for the wrong reasons.

    He stated this on Sunday in his Easter message, while urging Rivers people and other Nigerians to have hope and a renewed commitment to wait till the resurrection morning.

    Amaechi, a former Rivers governor, said: “No doubt, our state has endured a tortuous political season, which saw political parties jostle and cajole Rivers people to make choices.

    “Our state, which was known and respected as the Treasure Base of the Nation, is now almost always in the news for the wrong reasons. This is not the Rivers State of our dreams.

    “We must find our way back to the path of a glorious future. I am one of you, therefore, as your father, son and brother, I beseech you to be of good courage and join hands to build and restore the glory of our state.

    “For us as Rivers people, this is a moment for sober reflection and forgiveness.

    “I will not hesitate to implore that we all ask God for forgiveness and mercy for all the things done or left undone and from the citizens for the pain and anguish that they have brazenly suffered, which most times are unreported.

    Read Also: Lagos-Ibadan rail’ll ready in June – Amaechi

    “The persistence of gang violence, kidnappings and killings in parts of the state has dealt a telling blow on the psyche of the people. People no longer feel safe or sleep with their two eyes closed.”

    The transportation minister also urged candidates of political parties and politicians who did not emerge victorious during the last elections not to lose hope.

    He said: “For those of us who feel a sense of personal loss, as a result of the last electioneering in the state, I say do not despair, you have vital work to do in the Rivers project. Believe me with wisdom and patience, you will own the future.

    “Always remember that the task of enthroning a party into power is not as high a calling of patriotism than the task of making personal sacrifices for the peace and general good of the state.

    “Therefore, I appeal to all who truly love our dear Rivers State to join hands in building the state, irrespective of their party affiliations.

    “No amount of provocation or even threats should challenge the Rivers spirit of oneness, unity and harmony in you.

    “To the youths, I urge you not to see crime as an escape route from the difficult times we are going through in Rivers State today. I am confident that with resilience and prayer, you can always pull through.”

  • APC to Wike: leave Amaechi alone

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Chukwuemeka, has told Governor Nyesom Wike to leave Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi alone.

    Wike, after last week’s Supreme Court judgments, pleaded with Amaechi and other APC chieftains to join him to develop the state. He promised that court cases against APC members would be discontinued.

    But Eze, in a statement yesterday, said: “Wike’s broadcast, among other deficiencies, failed to address the critical issues bedevilling the state, especially insecurity and loss of value for human lives. The starting point for the governor ought to have been an unreserved apology to the people because he engineered the insecurity which has destroyed many communities.

    “Contrary to the erroneous impression contained in Wike’s broadcast, Amaechi has no case that Wike’s Attorney-General has to withdraw or recommend to be discontinued, as it is hypocritical to sit on a seat of the governor unjustly and look for who to hold peace parley with.

    Read also: Adelabu, APC get tribunal’s nod to inspect election materials

    “Neither the Transportation Minister nor the APC is the cause of the current bad governance in Rivers State. Wike, through his lack of vision and ineptitude, has turned the once economically bubbling, secure and peaceful state into a hotbed of cultism, killings, kidnapping and an unsafe haven. Persons who are responsible for the criminal activities are those who the governor and PDP are backing and protecting.”

    Chukwuemeka added that rather than waste time on empty broadcast, Wike should be preparing his defence at the tribunal “because the manipulated and massively-rigged elections would not stand”.

    He added: “It is sad that instead of Wike to address challenging issues confronting the people, he is dwelling so much on the crisis he ignited in Rivers APC, to his benefit.

    “While Wike was holding his state broadcast, medical doctors were protesting their unpaid seven-month salaries. Pensioners and civil servants are at a loss on who to present their plight of unpaid pensions and salaries months to.”

    The chieftain restated that pursuance of peace without social justice, mapping of strategies on job creation and elimination of hunger, amelioration of the plights of the civil servants, pensioners and most importantly strategies on restoration of security in Rivers State, would not bring about the desired results.

  • FG needs $3billion to link Itakpe to Abuja by rail

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed that about $3 billion is required to link Itakpe to Abuja by rail.

    He also noted that the $3 billion will also see to the establishment of a seaport which will be located in Warri.

    The Minister said this in Agbor on Thursday during a inspection tour to check the progress of work on the Itakpe-Warri rail project.

    The Minister who directed that commercial operation of the train service commence with immediate effect, also said the entire project will be ready by October.

    He said: “About $3 billion is needed to connect Abuja to Itakpe with a seaport at Warri.”

    On the progress of work, Amaechi said: “We have completed the track work, what is outstanding is the stations and if they continue with the pace of work, we will get it completed soon. We are not harrasing them to complete it because we are owing them but when we pay them, we will harras them.

    “We have 12 stations. None has been completed but they are at different levels of completion. For some, they have finished the structural work. By September and October,  the entire project will be ready.

    On the commencement of  commercial services, he said: “Passengers should start paying because the free ride cannot be forever.”

    On the linking of Itakpe to Lokoja, he said: “It has to go to the cabinet first. When the cabinet approves that,  then we will start because it is a different contract entirely but this  (Itakpe-Warri) will be functioning before then.

    “What the project does is that it takes the people from the south to the north and it gets them out of Itakpe because Itakpe appears to be a middle nowhere.

    He also hinted that the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria is making arrangements to create parking spaces for buses at Itakpe that will convey passengers from the train by buses to their various destinations.

    Read Also: FG needs $3billion to link Itakpe to Abuja by rail – Amaechi

    He also commended the contractors for the pace of work.

    According to him: “They have done filling,  foundation work and even structural work. So what is left is for them them to put roofing and do the finishing. This is the third visit,  this place looked like a bush, overgrown by weeds during the first visit, at the second visit they had started but nothing significant had happened and now the third visit,  they are almost completed.”

    On the affordability of the service since commercial activity has been directed to commence, he said: “All trains across the world are affordable because government all over the world subsidize. So, it is cheap. The problem is not the cost. The problem  is whether we can even break even.

     

     

  • FG to beef up security at Itakpe-Warri rail line

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday said that the Federal Government was going to beef up security at the Itakpe-Warri rail line.

    The minister gave the assurance during an inspection tour of the Itakpe-Warri rail project at Warri.

    He observed that two security personnel deployed on the train service were not adequate, noting that not less than 10 security personnel should be on the train.

    “Two security personnel are not good enough at least there should be not less than 10 armed security personnel on the train to protect the passengers.

    Read also: Warri-Itakpe Railway ready for commercial activities — Amaechi

    “I will meet the Inspector General of Police to deployed more security personnel on the route and all the needed amenities will also be provided,” he said.

    He, however, said that commercial activities should commence with immediate effect by puting a stop to free train ride, which had lasted for six months.(NAN)

  • Warri-Itakpe Railway ready for commercial activities — Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday said that the Warri-Itakpe Standard Gauge line was ready for passenger, commercial and freight services.

    Amaechi disclosed this while supervising the nearly completed standard guage rail project across the three states involved on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the train corridors involved Itakpe in Kogi, Aghenebode in Edo and Agbhor in Delta with 12 railway stations along the corridors.

    Amaechi, while commenting on the level of work done said that the Itakpe to Abuja axis would cost the government $3 billion.

    “The train is now available for commercial activities and we believe the passengers and companies on iron ore will patronise the services.

    “We have 12 stations from Itakpe to Warrior where work is ongoing but mostly all of them are nearly completed for easy access to the train services in the 316 km journey.

    “The Itakpe-Abuja corridor will cost the Federal Government three billion dollars with Seaport in Warri.

    “The government has said it has the plan to connect the whole country by train, so we are doing it gradually; very soon all the states will be connected,” the minister said.

    NAN reports that the railway stations include, Ujevwu, Agbhor, Itakpe, Eganyi, Adogo, Ajaokuta, Itogbo Aghenebode, Ehkehen, Igbanke Abraka, and Okpara involving the three states.

    NAN also reports that free passenger train operations commenced in Nov. 26, 2018, with the train running four times per week in the same corridor with over 2,501 passengers so far transported in 49 trips. (NAN)

  • Amaechi blames CCECC for slow pace of work on Lagos-Ibadan rail project

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has blamed the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the slow pace of work at the ongoing construction of Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge rail line.

    Amaechi expressed disappointment on the progress of work done so far while inspecting the project on Monday.

    The minister chided the contractor for slowing down work and track-laying from Distance Kilometre (DK) 121 to 157 of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project.

    According to him, the Federal Government plans to commence transportation of cargoes from the sea ports through the standard rail gauge by December.

    “Since you came to this segment of the project, you have not done anything here.

    Read also: EFCC arrests railway staff, two others for fraud in Kaduna

    “To those of you who are here with me on this inspection, did you see any work going on? There is no work at all.

    “From Kilometre 121 to 157, there is no work at all; and you have no reason whatsoever not to have worked, because we are not owing you.

    “You are doing no job, absolutely no job,” he said.

    Amaechi also said that the Federal Executive Council would discuss the issue of the project during its next meeting.

    The minister said he was dissatisfied with the contractor, saying the company had failed to implement the affected section of the project as earlier discussed with them at a previous meeting.

    According to him, the Federal Government has paid its own counterpart fund for the project.

    He said that the China construction company had no acceptable reason to tender for its inaction, since there was no funding problem on execution of the contract.

    The minister, however, said that the contractor had pleaded for more time to meet the May deadline for the delivery date of the project.

  • Amaechi, Malami plotting to void Rivers elections, PDP alleges

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fingered the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami in an alleged plot to void the March 9 Rivers State governorship election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP winner of the election, after weeks of suspending collation of the results of the governorship election.

    But at a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, raised the alarm, alerting of alleged plots by Amaechi and Malami to trigger constitutional crisis in the state.

    According to the PDP, the two Ministers have been allegedly mounting pressure on the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed to void the election.

    The main opposition party alleged the two Ministers are allegedly working on the CJN to reverse the February 12, 2019 final judgment of the Supreme Court upholding the exclusion of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Rivers election.

    The trial court had earlier ruled the Rivers APC out of participating in the 2019 National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections following the nullification of the party’s flawed primaries in the three categories of election.

    By implication of the apex court’s ruling, the APC was barred from fielding candidates for the three categories of election in Rivers.

    Based on the ruling of the apex court, INEC had excluded the Rivers APC from the ballots in the 2019 federal legislative, governorship and state assembly polls.

    The PDP is worried by the prospects of Amaechi and Malami succeeding in having the entire elections in Rivers state voided by the Supreme Court and the possibility of the apex court reversing its earlier judgment and ordering the conduct of fresh elections in the state to accommodate the APC.

    It said:  “Nigerians can also recall how the APC, having been frustrated by its lawful exclusion, used compromised security agents to violently disrupt the smooth conduct of elections in Rivers State.

    “In the course of the elections, the APC however adopted the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), bankrolled his election and made compromised security agents and thugs available to him, with the view to using them to muscle votes.

    Read also: Court declines jurisdiction in Rivers SDP matter

    “In spite of these conspiracies by the APC, the will of the people of Rivers state prevailed, as they braved the odds, resisted all machinations and voted overwhelmingly for the PDP and all its candidates.

    “The spontaneous jubilation in Rivers State and across the country, in addition to the general outpouring of goodwill to Governor Wike and other candidates of the PDP on their victory, clearly demonstrates the PDP popularity and acceptance not only by the people of Rivers, but also by lovers of democracy all over world.

    “However, not done with the desperation to cause confusion and crisis in Rivers state, the leader of the APC in the state; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has engaged in fresh conspiracies to subvert the will of the people as expressed at the polls.

    “The PDP has information of how Rotimi Amaechi has been going around in Rivers State, giving assurances that he has the ears of the Supreme Court under the leadership of Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed, and that the Supreme Court will reverse its final judgment on APC primaries and create the way for fresh elections in Rivers State, in which the APC will be allowed to participate.

    “Rotimi Amaechi goes about boasting that the apex court in the land, the Supreme Court, will reverse itself and order for fresh conduct of all the elections in Rivers State”.

    The PDP described the alleged scheming by the two cabinet Ministers as completely reprehensible and unthinkable in a democratic process.

  • Human element affects port efficiency – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, says inability to do away with human contacts in port operations is affecting its efficiency.

    Amaechi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the country had not developed enough technology to run the ports without human contacts.

    He said continuous training of ports workers in technology would translate to its efficiency and ultimately become competitive.

    “You move in your goods and take it out in 24 hours and this makes the ports more competitive than keeping goods for 40 days.

    “When you compare Nigerian economy with the economy of other countries, you have to look at the factors of production.

    “If those factors of production are cheaper in those countries, then the cost of goods in those countries will be cheaper than the cost of shipping goods there.

    Read Also: Railway interconnectivity may gulp $40bn – Amaechi

    “It also includes seaports. If the seaport activities are costly, it will be less competitive,” Amaechi said.

    He said that people were rushing to Dubai to ship in goods into many countries because it operates mostly on zero cost.

    The minister said that the present management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) was working hard in ensuring seamless operations at the nation’s ports. (NAN)

  • No rift between Oshiomhole, Amaechi on Rivers, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday lashed out at a section of media, accusing it of twisting the statement by National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to suit what it described as a jaundiced narrative.

    The party said there was no disagreement between the Oshiomhole and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi on the adoption of the governorship candidate of the AAC for the governorship election in Rivers state.

    National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mallam Lanre Issa- Onilu, in a statement explained while the party has no formal alliance with the AAC, it has not foreclosed any local arrangement that may have been made by any local chapter of the party.

    READ ALSO: Oshiomhole’s statement on Rivers being twisted, says APC

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to some reports in the media purporting a disagreement between the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi over the alignment of the Rivers State APC with the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Awara Biokpomabo.

    “It is regrettable that the APC National Chairman’s statement is being twisted to suit a jaundiced narrative. This narrative is at best, mischievous, pedestrian and should be disregarded.

    “The APC Chairman’s statement is unambiguous as to the effect that the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) does not have any formal alliance with AAC. This is without prejudice to any local arrangement that may exist.

    “Oshiomhole and Ameachi are above the petty insinuations being orchestrated by a section of the media.

    “Like many leaders of the party, APC National Chairman, Comrade Oshiomhole and the Minister of Transport, Hon. Amaechi enjoy cordial relationship and do share mutual respect; therefore, deliberate misinterpretation of issues and statements from the party or between the two of them would continue to fail.”