Aregbesola Declares Free Train Ride For Sallah Celebration

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**Crowd besiege Nigerian Railway over Osun’s
free train ride
Beneficiaries express satisfaction, ask other
states to emulate
Thousands of holiday makers traveling to Osun,
Kwara, Kogi states, and other parts of the
country, have besieged the Iddo Terminus of
the Nigerian Railway Corporation as the free
eid-il-kabir festival free train ride provided by
the government of Osun state entered its
second day in Lagos. The free train initiative of
the Osun state government was to help people
travelling home for the Eid-il Kabir festival. But
indigenes of neighbouring states have also
taken the opportunity to get to various
destinations when they arrive in the state
capital, Osogbo.
A statement signed by the Commissioner of
Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment,
Ismail Adekunle Jayeoba-Alagbada, said the
train rideis to facilitate stress-free travelling for
the people, who are coming home for the
festival. The free train ride, which spans five
days, commenced on Saturday 12, 2013. For
the journey to Osogbo, the train would take off
from Iddo Terminus, Lagos, at 11 o’clock daily
on Saturday 12th, Sunday, and Monday 14th.
The return trip to Lagos, according to the
statement, is fixed for Thursday 17th and
Saturday 19th as the train would depart
Osogbo at 11 o’clock daily. Mr Jayeoba-
Alagbada said the government embarked on
the initiative in the past three years to reduce
the stress people go through during Easter, Eid
–il Fitri, Eid –il Kabir and Christmas festivals.
“We hope our people, wherever they are coming
from, Oyo, Ogun or Lagos, would make
maximum use of this gesture of the government
and promptly too. This is a sign that
government has the welfare interests of the
people at heart and would not detract from
providing same as and when required,” Mr
Jayeoba-Alagbada said.
A passenger, Idiat Oladosu, who said she was
travelling to Oro, Kwara State, said it was a
good opportunity for her to reduce her cost of
travelling. Ganiyu Alimi, an indigene of Inisa in
Odo Otin Local Government Area of the state,
said he had been enjoying the free train ride
since the inception of the Aregbesolas’
administration.
Awololo Samson, said though he is not a
Muslim coming for any festival, he joined the
train in Lagos to arrive in Osogbo on his way to
Lokoja as he believed that would reduce his
cost of travelling.

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