‘Lagos-Ibadan speed train ready before May 29’

Minister of Transportation Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said acts of God, such as rain, which may prevent the pace of work, remains the only snag that could stop President Muhammadu Buhari from riding on the Lagos –Ibadan standard gauge train.

He disclosed this at Moniya, Ibadan, during the routine monthly monitoring of the project, which is being handled by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), at the weekend.

He said the historic ride is part of the inauguration activities slated by the presidential inauguration committee for the president.

The minister had in the company of the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and the paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Afedotun Gbadebo, test run the track from Iju, Lagos to Abeokuta on Febrary 8.

That trip had been slated to be flagged off by Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

Amaechi said he has to make the president ride on the train, to show him what is being done on the assignment handed to him. The 156-kilometre Lagos- Ibadan standatd gauge cost the Nigerian government $1.6 billion.

He told reporters that he is a restless man, who is always driven by a passion to deliver on his responsibilities, adding that as a minister, this passion gave him the impetus to focus on actualising the focus of that government, which is the modernisation of the nation’s railway system and the delivery of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge train, the third in the history of Nigeria.

According to Amaechi: “If nothing else, if we are to be fair to these people, we should commend them for the pace of and quality of work. They have passed Abeokuta and gotten to kilometre 82 of track laying and they said by the time we get back on March 28, they will get to kilometre 95 and a week after our inspection, they will get to 120 and after that, only 36 kilometres will be remaining.”

He said efforts are being made to speed up the completion of all the outstanding civil works failure of which may mess up the work plan and delivery schedule of the project.