FG Restless Over Work-rate At Lagos-Ibadan Rail Line

Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi is worried over the rate of work at the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project.

Amaechi noted this on Monday as he embarked on his monthly inspection of the project but remarked that the development could be due to the rains.

According to him, work on the project will pick up once the rains stop in about two weeks time.

“No, I am not satisfied. But they have a reason. The problem is the rain. The work is progressing,” he said.

“You will agree with us that we are progressing. The problem is the rain. There is no way they would have gone extra with the rains.

“At the meeting, they agreed that now that the rains are stopping, there will be improvement.

“Their fear, however, is that in the next one or two weeks, the rains may come but immediately after that, the work will pick up faster.

“One and a half years is the original time for the construction of the stations but we have insisted that they will finish it before December.”

The former River State Governor added that “They (the contractor; CCECC) have been able to lay 12km, as against the 1.3km that was laid the last time we visited.

“We are still not impressed with the level of work. Their argument is that the track laying is not the problem as they can lay as many tracks as possible any day.

“They said the problem is earthwork. They said if the rains stopped, they could conclude the earthwork which is at 90 per cent.

“The remaining 10 per cent is between Iju to Ajaokuta. They said if the rains stopped, they would finish the remaining 10 per cent faster.

“They also said by the end of September, they would have finished all the bridges between Iju and Ajeokuta but we are pushing that the contract is between Ebute Meta and Ibadan and should be finished by December.”