Seek $3b To Link Abuja-Itakpe

Rotimi Amaechi, Transport Minister

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

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

The Minister said this in Agbor during an 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 harassing them to complete it because we are owing them but when we pay them, we will harass 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 middle of 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.

According to him: “They have done filling, foundation work and even structural work. So what is left is for 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.”