The Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has issued the riot act against terminal operators blocking the construction of the standard gauge onto the Apapa ports.
He also directed the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), to complete the Standard Gauge railway contruction into Apapa before year end.He directed the terminal operators, to work within the presidential directive and ensure there is no further impediment to the pace of work.
He said: “I have an answer to the end of traffic gridlock and it is in getting the rail lines to evacuate cargoes from the ports at least to Ibadan.
“He said the January deadline is sacrosant. adding, “I have a meeting with Mr President on Monday and it is at that meeting that we would fix any day in January for Mr President to commission this project. That is not debatable and that is why we must ensure that this work is delivered before then”.
Amaechi spoke at the APMT control room, where he and other stakeholders, including the NPA Managing Director Hadiza Bala Usman, the NRC Board of Directors Chairman Engr Al-Hassan Musa, the NRC Managing Director Engr Fidet Okhiria, the contractor and the TEAM engineers, had a brief meeting to iron out issues relating to the delays in getting the rail into Apapa.
Amaechi said a larger fact finding meeting is slated for another meeting at EKO Hotel on Sunday, where all issues relating to the delays on Apapa would be ironed out.Siding the minister, Hadiza Bala Usman said the presidential directive is beyond consideration for APMT.
According to her the reason why the minister had come to meet with the APMT is to pass the message that the construction work into all terminals must go unhindered by any operator.
“Why the Minister is here is to enforce the presidential directive to get the rail tracks into Apapa. It is you that must build your operation round the construction work plan to ensure that your operations are not hundred and hampered by the construction of the standard gauge. The construction is of top priority to the government and all operators must ensure that we cooperate to get it done,” she said.
She said the operation should partner with the contractor in order to ensure that the standard gauge project goes off ground in Apapa.
APMT pledged to comply with the directive and partner the contractor in the actualisation of the presidential directive.
