The Nigerian government has charged China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation, CCECC, which is handling the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Ibadan rail project to do a quality job.
Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, gave the charge Saturday while inspecting the project which took him and his team from Lagos to Abeokuta station, Ogun and Ibadan, Oyo State.
He said that the advice became imperative if the government decided not to engage the CCECC for the maintenance of the services.
“If we don’t want to give you the maintenance work, let the public see that you have done a good work that can last so many years,’’ the minister said.
Mr Amaechi called on the engineers handling the stations to engage adequate and qualified personnel for the finishing of the project.
“We need qualified people that can take us through the finishing of all the stations,” he said.
He urged the contractor to work hard to deliver the project, saying that the next inspection would come up Dec. 20.
According to him, the government wants to embark on free train ride from Lagos-Ibadan very soon on the Lagos-Ibadan standard rail line.
He said that the government wanted to reduce pressure on the road, hence the need to deliver the project on time.
“Ten locomotives and 16 coaches have been shipped and will arrive before December ending,’’ the minister said.
He said that Diesel Multiple Units, DMU, of 10 coaches had been shipped, saying one set would go to Abuja-Kaduna railway while the other would be on Lagos-Ibadan corridor.
Assessing the progress of works across the 10 stations along the 156 km corridor, Mr Amaechi said that the stations were upcoming as equipment the contractor was expecting had arrived.
The minister and his team commenced the inspection at the ongoing construction of Costain Bridge in Lagos and progressed across the 10 stations on the corridor.
