Inauguration of Lagos-Ibadan railway project on hold as 60 workers contract Covid-19

At least 60 workers on the Lagos-Ibadan railway project site have been infected with COVID-19, while trying to complete the project, the Federal Government said on Monday.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who disclosed this in Abuja, said that the inauguration of the Lagos-Ibadan rail project which was scheduled to be innaugurated on the first week in January would be put on hold due to the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic across the country.

He said, “First let us admit that over 60 of our staff, not Ministry of Transportation staff, but the staff working on the rail project, have been infected by COVID-19.

“Luckily nobody has died and I pray nobody will die, but you see the kind of sacrifice everybody is making to get the rail to function,” Ameachi said.

Read also: Lagos-Ibadan train ride to cost between N3,000 and N6,000 – Amaechi

He added, “There are people sacrificing their lives to get to that point. We are of the view when we made that decision that Nigerians will not say 2020 was a bad year.

“As far as we are concerned, we need to learn how to live with COVID-19 and I really want to congratulate those who achieved that feat.”

Amaechi said minor works have been stopped on the Lagos-Ibadan railway facility due to the resurgence of the Covid-19.

“The timeline for inauguration will depend on COVID. If COVID stops today or reduces we will inaugurate the project.”

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