Ebun Francis || President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt- Maiduguri rail line project, that is expected to run through most of the Igbo heartland.
The omission of the rail project from the initial rail projects submitted to the National Assembly for Funding elicited strong opposition from South East Senators in the upper legislative chamber and eventually lead to the suspension of debate on the matter pending the inclusion of the project.
However, at The Osasu symposium in Abuja on Friday, Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of transportation, said that in addition to the PH- Maiduguri rail line, the president also approved Kano to Daura, Kano to Maiduguri, Makurdi to Jos, Gombe to Yobe to Borno, Jigawa to Niger Republic.
The minister who bemoaned the state of transportation infrastructure said that so much has to be done to restore the railway activities and drive the economy.
He said,“GE came here and announced that they would give us 100 locomotives, we did the audit; our narrow gauge can’t carry 17 locomotives, so by October 1st to October 2nd, we would be launching about six to ten locomotives, because our narrow gauge can’t carry more than that.”
“Government said concession this narrow gauge, and we have successfully done that to the extent that we are able to sign an agreement with GE. By October GE will take over the narrow gauge and begin to run from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.
“When they stop at Umuahia, economic activities will be at Umuahia; the Umuahia station will become an economic hub. We the Ibos in Umuahia will be able to establish shops and sell goods we would like to sell.
“That station from Port Harcourt to Aba, Aba to Umuahia, Umuahia to Enugu, Enugu to Makurdi, Makurdi to Jos, Jos to Bauchi, Bauchi to Gombe, Gombe to Borno.
“The president has also approved another rail line from Kano to Daura to Jibia and we hope to connect Jigawa from there and to Niger Republic.”
According to the Minister, the rail line from Itakpe to Warri will be resuscitated by 2018, after 30 years of neglect.
“When we came, there was no rail contract connecting any of the seaports, and the president gave a directive for Lagos-Calabar to connect Port Harcourt Seaport, Onne Seaport, Calabar Seaport, Warri Seaport and either Apapa or Tincan seaport.
“He has approved the construction two new deep seaports, one in Bonny, and the Lekki deep seaport.”