Why FG approved rail line to Daura ―Amaechi

THE Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over the weekend explained that the Federal Government approved a rail line to Daura because of competition for landlocked countries from Ghana and Togo.

Addressing newsmen over the weekend after the monthly meeting with the contractor handling the Lagos-Ibadan rail project, the Honourable Minister of Transportation explained that due to a lack of a rail line linking Nigeria with her land-locked neighbours like Niger, the Federal Government had to award a rail line that will pass through Daura.

According to Amaechi, “we realised that we had competitors for our land-locked neighbours, competitors like Ghana, Togo and even Benin Republic. Our landlocked neighbours are importing through these countries because we don’t have rail lines that go to them.

“So to address this situation, Mr President approved a rail line that will go to Maragi in Niger. But that rail line which will come from Kano to Maragi in Niger must pass through some cities. So the rail line passes through Kwazare and then Daura before proceeding to Jibya and then Maragi. Is it that when the rail line gets to Kwazare, it jumps into the air over Daura? No, it has to pass through Daura to get to Jibya and Maragi. It’s quite unfortunate that people read meanings to a rail line going to Daura.

“With this rail line, it addresses the competition we have with Ghana and Togo for our landlocked neighbours. So we can now tell our landlocked neighbours that we can take their goods and services from our ports in Lagos to their country.

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But one thing good for me as a man that has the mandate to connect all state capital by rail is that, from Daura, we will also link Katsina State, thereby leaving us with just three more State capitals to connect; Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi.”

On the Kaduna-Abuja rail line, Amaechi explained that Mr President has given the go ahead for the purchase of 17 locomotives for the Kaduna to Abuja rail line. In his words, “Mr President has approved that we buy more locomotives for the Kaduna to Abuja rail line.

“You know there is pressure on the Kaduna to Abuja rail line because there are more passengers than locomotives. There are two reasons for this, one is due to the state of the road from Kaduna to Abuja; secondly, the Abuja to Kaduna rail services is subsidised, so more people are trooping in to enjoy the services at low cost.

“So to address the pressure on Abuja to Kaduna rail services, Mr President has approved that we buy more locomotive and coaches. We have placed order for 17 coaches. Two have already been retrieved. By December, ten more will be received, and they will all be deployed to Kaduna-Abuja rail services.

“The locomotives that we are currently using in Abuja belongs to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). So when the ten additional locomotives arrive, we will replace the existing ones we are using with them.”