By Micheal Olatunji
The Lagos State Government has assured that it will deliver the Red Rail line for passenger operation in the next 20 months, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Mrs Abimbola Akinajo has said.
LAMATA’s Assistant Director Corporate Communication Kolawole Ojelabi, said the LAMATA chief stated this during the presentation of cheques to 21 staff of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) who were compensated for their residential quarters at Ikeja which were pulled down for the project.
Represented by the Director of Rail Transport, Mr. Olasunkanmi Okusaga, Mrs. Akinajo said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was concerned about the likely effect the removal of the building may have on the wellbeing of the occupants for the rail project, hence his resolve to provide them with cash to hire temporary accommodation pending the construction of new residential quarters for them by the Lagos State Government.
“In other areas to be impacted by the rail project, we are currently carrying out verification exercises to determine the quantum of compensation to be paid. We do not wish to remove any building without paying compensation to both the house owners and the tenant,” she said.
She confirmed that the contractors to implement the rail project had been mobilised promising that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Red line rail project would commence passenger operations by the last quarter of next year (2022).
Mrs. Akinajo, on behalf of the Lagos State Government, apologised to the occupants of the NRC’s staff quarters for the inconvenience their relocation might cause but noted that in any development, some people would unfortunately be displaced.
She informed that the drawing for a new staff quarter had been submitted to the management of the NRC for a view and had asked for a location where a new staff quarters could be built for the displaced staff.
Managing Director of NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, who was represented by the Director Administration and Human Resource, Dr. Mrs Monsurat Omotayo, described the Red line rail project as part of the state government’s vision for development.
“This is a project that will bring greater good for all of us,” he said adding that the project was in tandem with the Federal Government vision of providing transport infrastructure that best support the aspiration of the citizenry.