The Nigerian government has tasked the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company, CCECC’s contractor handling the Lagos-Ibadan Standard rail gauge project to employ indigent engineers and train unprofessional ones.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said employing indigent and professional engineers would increase the speed of their job.
Inspecting the ongoing project from Ologuneru in Ibadan through Abeokuta, Mr. Amaechi said he was “impressed with the laying of the tracks.”
Pace of Work
“We agreed on 11 kilometers, they have done only three. They have apologised and said that in our next meeting which would take place on the 25 of July, they would have done more than 10.
“The reason for the snail speed is the rain. It is slowing down the civil works. But they are trying to manage the situation until the dry weather comes,” the minister explained.
“The capacity is that they can lay that 10 kilometers in one day. It is the civil works that is the problem, it is not the laying of the tracks but how to manage the civil works under the current situation of weather challenges and they are working towards that,” he said.
Solution to right of way
The minister expressed satisfaction over the step taken by the Lagos State Water Corporation and the committee headed by the Chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Alhaji Abubakar Usman as well as all the engineers in that committee.
Government Commitment
“Nigerians know that President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to railway and I am fortunate to be the Minister for Transport because if they tell the President the Minister for Transport wants to see him, he assumes it is about railway. He would just say please let him see me so we are really doing our best as government,” he said.
According to him, the President believes that the cost of production and movement of goods including that of agriculture will be resolved to the benefit of Nigerians if we are able to fix railway across the country and that is the focus.
Compiled by David Adekunle, Voice of Nigeria
Somebody close to Rotimi Amechi should tell him to bury his head in shame. He is only advertizing his ignorance to the whole world. Who taught Russians how to make space travel? Also, who taught Americans how to make Space-shuttle? He is ignorant of the fact that Engineering is generic and innovative. An Engineer doesn’t need specific experience on a project before undertaking it. If he needs a man with experience, he should look for a Craftsman. He is not an Engineer an cannot speak on our behalf.