Lagos-Calabar rail line ‘to create’ 7,000 jobs before 2018

Gbenga Ashafa, chairman senate committee on land transport, says that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar standard gauge railway line would create additional 7,000 jobs for the teeming youths before its completion in December 2018.

Ashafa, during an oversight visit paid to the Nigerian Railway Corporation by both committee on land transport and the committee on local and foreign debts.

“We are confident that the Lagos to Kano and Calabar to Lagos railway modernisation projects would in no small way reinvigorate Nigeria’s economy through creation of about 7000 jobs,” Ashafa said.

“On our part as senators holding the mandate of our constituents, we are totally committed to assisting the executive arm in the actualization of every developmental project within our purview”.

The senator said that the visit was to assist the committee on local and foreign debt assess the project implementation plan for the recently approved loan request by the federal government from the China Exim Bank.

According to him, the loan is to be accessed for the purpose of completing various railway rehabilitation and construction projects across the country.

“The focus of this visit is to immediately set in perspective of our commitment to ensuring a high level of accountability in public expenditure.

“As such, the bulk of this joint committee’s work lies particularly in the areas that concern activities of the Ministry of Transport and all relevant stakeholders in the expenditure of the loan.

“As requested, the sum of 5.851 billion dollars being the total approved loan would be expended on modernisation of Lagos to Kano, Lagos to Ibadan and Calabar to Lagos segments,” he added.

Shehu Sani, chairman senate committee on local and foreign debts in his contribution said that both committee were signals to the seriousness attached to the commencement and successful completion of the rail projects.

Sani said that the project was in the 2016-2018 external borrowing (Rolling) plan recently approved by the senate.

According to him, the potential of the rail projects was to fast track the nation’s economic growth, provision of gainful employment to teeming youths and overall development of the country.

“The senate while approving the borrowing plan as it concerns the rail mandated its relevant committees to ensure a thorough oversight of the actual implementation of the projects for which the country was borrowing.

“Obviously, this is to guarantee effective and efficient utilisation of every kobo taken as loan by the federal government on behalf of Nigerian citizens.

“Therefore, this visit is one step in the fulfilment of that mandate and the public trust we owe Nigerian citizens”.

Leo Yin, the project cordinator, Chinese Civil Engineer Construction Company, said the major challenge facing the project presently was the recent continuous rainfall.

Yin said that plans have been put in place by the company to deliver and hand over the project at the appointed time.

He however, appealed to the communities in the affected areas to cooperate with the workers for speedy execution of the project.

Rotimi Ameachi, the minister of transportation, had said that Federal Government would ensure the completion of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail services by Dec. 2018.

The minister said that the federal government was making all efforts to ensure the completion of the project as scheduled.