By Blessing wika, Abuja
The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has said that the Ministry will tackle the issue of flood along Lagos-Ibadan rail line before the rainy season fully commenced.
Amaechi, who gave this assurance at the weekend while inspecting the Lagos-Ibadan rail project, said the ministry was going to observe critical areas where flood usually affects the project, especially the communities along the rail corridor.
Responding to the complaints by communities along the rail corridor, the Minister said, “The technical committee will resolve the case of overpass, the problem now is the flooding challenge which we asked the committees to address, residents of Ajegunle community are complaining of the need to build overpass and we cannot build overpass everywhere.”
The Minister observed that since the raining season is fast approaching, the Ministry of Work and Housing must hasten with the approval or the construction will linger till after September.
According to him, “During the rainy season, we will observe where the construction has led to flooding as the citizens that have given us land must enjoy the sacrifice they made and when it happens we will correct those mistakes.”
Amaechi asserted that the works on Lagos-Ibadan rail route has however reached significant level with few correction and amendments left to put the project together for it to be commissioned soon.
He said, “As the train stations reach the completion stage, the lack of access roads into these stations, particularly from Stations in Ogun to Oyo State remains one of the few challenges facing the project especially as the rainy season is gradually returning.”
“If you look at the level of work carefully, we cannot ask the president to commission this, but once we give CCECC definite time, I know they will speed up the job.
“As you can see, there are some minor things they still need to put in place but it’s taking time to do that. Some of these things should not take more than a day or two to put in place, so I’m not so worried.
The Minister, who was dissatisfied with the slow pace of work on the strategic rail corridor, stated that the they have invited the contractors to a meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.
The multi-million dollar rail project is being executed by the Chinese Civil Engineering Corporation (CCECC).
Amaechi attributed the delay in completion of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project, to failure of the contractors to adhere strictly to agreed work plan.
He said the rail project will be commissioned as soon as President Muhammadu Buhari gives the approval.
The Minister said, “I have asked CCECC to see us on Wednesday, we will have a meeting and I have to tell them that I am sick and tired of their excuses.
“We have noticed things that will delay movement of goods, they are minor, I believe them, but I need them to reiterate that and TEAM has always said that they don’t go by their work plan.
“Ibadan-Kano and other future projects, everybody must go by work plan both in terms of payment, construction, inspection and others so that we keep to the time and the plan of work.”