FG to ease transportation between North-Central, North-East

Plans are underway by the Federal Government to boost the means of transportation in the North-East and as well link the zone with the North-Central to further galvanise the economy of the two geopolitical zones.

The Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Chubuike Amaechi, who stated this during a work visit to the Hiepang Inland Dry Port in Plateau State, assured  the people of Plateau State that the Federal Government would soon turn its attention to rehabilitating the Yakubu Gowon Airport and the rail line from Jos to Bauchi and Maiduguri.

On the railways, the minister said negotaions had been concluded with General Electric (GE), an American company that the Federal Government was negotiating with to bankroll cost on rail rehabilitation “We will rehabilitate the old narrow gauge, and the old narrow gauge starts from Port Harcourt to Anambra, Umuahia, to Enugu to Jos to Bauchi and then to Maiduguri.

“That will cover here temporarily while we look for money for standard gauge. The difference between standard gauge and narrow gauge is the speed. One is 80 km/hr, while the other is 220 to 350km/hr,” he  said

In his address,  the Plateau State governor,  Mr. Simon Lalong,  used the   opportunity to express the concerns of the people of  the state with regard to the Yakubu Gowon airport.

“Sometimes, we would hear that it’s an international airport, other times, we would hear that it is not. From history, Jos airport happens to be one of the first graded airports in this country. But unfortunately, the airport is as it was in the 80s.

“Our first request is we want the ongoing construction work on the airport to be concluded immediately so we can take advantage of it. The state can also come in where necessary to intervene.

“The second one is the railway. When we saw the railway from Kaduna to Abuja, all the travelers from Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Maiduguri became eager to see the same type constructed from Abuja to Jos; just Abuja to Jos will be enough to accommodate six or seven states of Taraba, Gombe Adamawa, Bauchi, and the whole of north-East. And I am sure if you do that, it will take care of the insurgency in the North.”

Earlier, the Group Managing Director of Duncan group of companies, Dr. Godfrey Bawa Shitgurum, handling the project of the Inland Port described the sustenance of the work on the project as a result of the resilience and commitment of the company to see that the state fully benefits from activities of the port.

He said, “Our gathering here today would have been to commission the port. However, in spite of the draw back experienced, we have been greatly encouraged by the support and the favourable environment created by this administration to mover the project forward.”

He said, “with a land mass of 33.7 hectres and a capacity to handle 20,000 (TEUs), this dry port will be a game changer in the economic architecture of the region. Apart from generating revenue to the state and federal government, the port, when fully operational will create employment, expand economic value chain and open new business opportunities to the citizens. Also, it will bring internal trade to the state, lower freight rates, earn foreign exchange and create multi-model transport system.”