Amaechi decries slow pace of work on Kaduna-Kano, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail projects

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday expressed concern over the slow pace of work at the Kaduna-Kano rail line handled by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

The minister, who addressed journalists during the inspection of the project site in Kano, said the contractors had only brought 541 equipment needed for the completion of the project.

He said: “The speed is extremely slow, the equipment that is supposed to be over 2000, all they have brought so far is 541.

“They claim that over 300 is in Kaduna, people have gone to check that; But even if you add all that, it is about 800 equipment as compared to 2000 equipment that they are supposed to bring, then something is wrong somewhere.

He also decried the slow pace of work at the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line.

READ ALSO: Paucity of funds may stall Kano-Kaduna rail project – Amaechi

The minister added: “It is part of what the CCECC will address us on, because we have given them some money and we think that they should start work.

“According to them, they said they will start building camps, for me, who is not an engineer, all those things are not my business, my business is to see the laying of tracks.

”So on Wednesday they must tell us because we can’t give all our contracts to one company and the company goes to sleep.

“They can’t say there is no land because it is an old track, you must start work.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now