By Clem Khena-Ogbena
The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris A. Umar, stated that the on-going construction of 186 km Idu (Abuja) – Kaduna standard guage rail line has reached 72 percent completion level, expressing
satisfaction in the quality of work executed so far in the areas of track laying, construction of culverts, railway bridges, overpass bridges, concrete sleepers, site clearing, design and survey, among
others. He gave firm assurance to the nation that the modernization of railway transportation was fully on course.
This indication was contained in a statement signed and issued, yesterday, in Abuja, by the special assistant on media to the minister, Mr. Innocent Ebirim. According to the statement, the
minister remarked that the huge milestone recorded in the corridor was a boost to the current administration’s Transformation Agenda, in terms of infrastructural component of the Agenda to revolutionize the transport sector of the economy.
It noted that in the course of the inspection, the minister directed the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), to remodel the Idu (Abuja) station of the rail line to meet up with
the modern and international standards in railway stations, giving the assurance that the two major challenges confronting the work in the corridor, namely: the water pipeline and the right of way, were being resolved with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, to allow for a seamless flow of the rail lines.
The minister, the statement added, urged members of the local community residing along the rail lines to cooperate with government projects for the overall benefits of all in the society.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Engr. Nebolisa Emodi, while commending the contractor for quality work being done, remarked that the ministry maintained effective supervision of the work and assured that the ministry would not fail to call the contractor to order for any perceived lapse in the project.
The representative of the Managing Director of CCECC, Mr. Lv Feng, also assured that the company would complete the work by the end of the year, as the expected date of completion, because the major
aspects of the project had been done leaving the minor ones to be completed in the course of the year.
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