Amaechi Sets 2018 Deadline For Completion Of Rail Projects

PIC.-32.-MINISTER-OF-TRANSPORTATION-ROTIMI AMAECHI

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has assured Nigerians that a deadline of 2018 has been given for the completion of both the Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal rail line and the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project.

The minister made this announcement in Abuja on Wednesday at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. (CECC).

According to Amaechi, the signing of the MoU follows due process and complies with the requirements of the China Exim Bank.

He added that the Ministries of Finance, Works and Housing, National Planning and Justice were all involved in efforts to drive the project to completion in record time.

“I am told that before November, we can commence the Lagos-Ibadan construction.

“So, we can begin to count for CCECC in the case of Lagos-Ibadan from November, hoping that in November 2018, you should have finished work.’’

The minister further added that the Federal Government would get the counterpart fund for the project expected to cost 3.4 billion dollars.

Also speaking,  the Managing Director of CCECC, Mr Jack Li, said that the project would be completed in record time, as he gave assurances of constructing the Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal rail line to international standard

“I want to give my commitment and assure you that on completion, the rail line will be as good as, or even better than the completed Abuja-Kaduna rail line,” he said.