In a Train Ride with Rotimi Amaechi
The invitation for the ride was less than 12 hours. “Let’s see at 8.00am”, he had said the night before, without adding that weshall be going for inspection of rail construction. Catching up with the timesuddenly became a challenge, despite the fact that I had left home, two clear hours ahead of the time. I hear Mondays are often choky and glitch in the mornings, especially heading into the Lagos Island zones.
I eventually found myself in the large premises of the Nigerian Railway Coporation, (NRC) Ebute Meta. The Chinese, who had been the ones reviving the rail system had established themselvesin one portion of the estate, serving as operational office.
It was a very wet day. I drove with wipers to the premises. But despite the rain, workers were working assiduously, wearing raincoats and boots.. Everywhere within the premises seemed jammed. So many persons were milling around, everybody kitting up for the inspection. Everywhere was wet and somewhat messy. The senior persons were changing into safety boots. Some four senior journalists, led by Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, apart from the many other reporters and correspondents, were “on call”. The rain was still drizzling. And then the BBC crew arrived, led by a young British-born Nigerian lady who flew in from London, for the inspection . It is that serious.
Then the journey began. It was about 9.00am. We all drove out, in various carsand buses, like soldiers hitting the war front. As usual, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi was behind the wheels, in his Lexus SUV, with his wife, Dame Judith Amaechi sitting beside him. Even she was kitted, complete with safety boot et al, for the trudge. It is the first time the honourable minister was dragging his beloved wife along for the inspection routine, in the past five or so years, so she “will see and experience what I come to Lagos to do every now and then”.
The first stop was at Oshodi. There was an inspection of some construction, I think, a mini station. Thereafter, the long convoy snaked through the choky Oshodi and Ikeja-along traffic, headed into the crowded zone of Agege, then Iju and later ended up at the point where the train was waiting. Up to that point, the standard guage track has been laid. The three or so coaches of the train looked clean and colourful. Even more dazzling was the inside. It was decent, inviting and cosy. The red soft velvet fabric covering the seats made it even more royal. Everybody fitted in, took a seat and then the ride began, amidst jokes and banters.
Kajuola Train Station
After about a 90-minute ride, the train stopped at Kajuola station. There is an ongoing construction of a standard station. It looked big and pretty complex. Plenty of scaffolding and props. The minister, with the sprint of an athlete, had headed straight into the structure, with officials of the China Civil Engineering ConstructionCompany (CCECC) and top leaders of the NRC racing behind him. In no time, he was in the building, checking and inspecting the pillars, beams, pace and extent of work, et al. Then the query: “the last time we came here, a month ago, we agreed that we shall hold a meeting here. With this state how and where can we hold the meeting?”, he fired.
The CCECC officials were somewhat in a distraught state. But they pointed him to the venue of the meeting. A space, like a mini-conference room, had been dressed up, plastered and cleaned up, with a setting of chairs and tables, garnished with overtly sugar-filled biscuits and drinks. The meeting soon began. Amaechi was hard and far from quibbling. He demanded to know the cause of the slow pace of work. He querried the determination of the Chinese company to bring everything from China. “you bring doors and windows from China. If we are not careful you will bring sand from China”, he blurted out to register his displeasure in the slow pace of work, which the CCECC blamed largely on the rains. He further accused them of deliberately slowing down the pace of work so they will remain in Nigeria for a much longer time than they planned.
The stations—mega and standard, are 12 in number between Lagos and Ibadan. Four mega stations and eight standard stations. Each of the stations has a large car park that can take between 500 and 800 cars, a shopping complex and some other service outlets.
No doubt, the coming of the rail has changed the economy and hope index of the people within the rail corridor. Already, it is said that the cost of land and other properties on that corridor has significantly gone up.
Again, he set new deadlines: the narrow gauge will be laid up to Ebute Meta beforeNovember 25, from where he would start the train ride at the next inspection date, not Iju. Also, the train stations would have been ready for inspection on the same date. Grudgingly, the CCECC chief agreed , but in a way that suggests that it is not realistic, but I can’t argue with you.
Hon Amaechi has his own operational timetable. He wants the trains to start running from Lagos to Ibadan, through Abeokuta, in December, so those going for Christmas in South west, can enjoy free ride. So the CCECC people must work to meet up this timetable. He (Ameachi) is eager to impress the people. He wants to pull it off, so there can ultimately be some praises to his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari. In desperation for prompt completion of all the works, he has paid the construction company “all” their bills so there would be no excuse for not fulfilling the timeline of the job.
That he has a passion and deep devotion for the job is beyond argument. He seems to sleep and think rail all the time. Over the years, as Minister of Transportation, he has seemingly become an “expert” in rail matters. He speaks their language, using their jargons and terminologies with so much familiarity and know-how, as he asks deep and critical engineering questions like a pro. He drums it down their head: the job of the chief executive is to cause problems while the job of the sub-ordinates is to fix those problems”. In this case, he is not causing any problem. He is merely setting a timetable of operation for the fabrication and building of train coaches. It is a Value Added company. I asked the minister if the cost of building the factory was not factored into the cost of the rail contract itself. He said no. That the cost of the contract has been signed and agreed upon, before he suddenly came up with the idea of they ( CCECC building such a factory so it will be easy to, one, replace the coaches whenever there is a problem, and two, to provide job for Nigerians).
Indeed, Amaechi and his boss are huge on opportunities of job creation in Nigeria. It is a tribute to his initiative for insisting on the Kajuola factory , which indeed will up the ante of rail transportation in Nigeria. What is more, there is also the plan to establish a Transport University in both Daura ( the president’s town) and Ubima (the minister’s town), at about N50 billion, the cost of which would be borne by the CCECC, so as to train the manpower that can man and maintain the rail system in Nigeria.
Already, work has commenced at the site and according to the minister, in a year or so, the company should be up and running.
At a very low speed, the ride rolled into half a dozen hours. The Managing Director of NRC, Engineer Freeborn Okhiria, explained that the train is that slow not only because the tracks are new, but also because the train driver/operator is not exactly a professional, just some knowledgeable person being used to test run the rail.
We stopped at two other stations, inspected the works and progress of the construction and continued.
The engineering technology behind the standard guage is amazing. Inspite of the uneven topography, the train ride was smooth, steady and without bumps of rising and falling gradients. The entire stretch seemd to have been reduced to the same height and level, even when the rail tracks burrows into the earth in what appears like a tunnel. It still appears like a stable topography. Cool.
Madam Pulls off her Boots
After over seven hours, Madam (Mrs Amaechi) had become wearied. First sign: she unlaced the safety boot and settled in a flat fanciful pair of slippers that would make walking less herculean. She trudged on whenever we had to disembark from the train and walk.
Much after Abeokuta, we had stopped over for anther inspection, assessing what has been done and what has not been done.
Three kilometers to the train station in Ibadan, the train stopped. That was the end of the tracks that have been laid. The Director Rail, Engineer Mohammed Babakobi had explained something concerning the non-co-operation of the officials of the Oyo State government, in granting access to certain portions of the land where road diversion is imperative.
Trekking the distance of almost eight kilometers (to the station and back to the train) was, perhaps the final test of fitness, for everybody. Madam soldiered on with courage and strength, aided by her (now)flat footwears. She sweated it, just like all others. The minister, accustomed to the inspection routine, showed no sign of fatigue. His strength and vigour kept rebounding with zest. He was often ahead of most people.
The Stories and Gists
In what appears like the VIP coach, furnished with executive settees, big television screen (which never showed)and a bigger-than-size centre table several biscuits, fruits and drinks, we all sat and threw banters, argued and told stories almost about everything stretching from the Nigerian federation to governance, to politics, to arguments about literature and literary giants, social values, etc. I cannot but retell some of the stories, many of which came from the honourable minister himself.
History of Eating on Board the train
Once upon a time, during those early days of inspection exercises, the Chinese used to serve biscuits, water and soft drinks. And that was the norm for a long time. Then one day, the journalists protested and asked why “real food” cannot be served on board. Then everybody’s eye opened to it. And since that day the NRC and the CCECC ensures that real food is served. And last Tuesday was no exception. There was plenty of food ranging from rice to “swallow to even porridge etc, what with plenty of fruits and fruities to “step down”
The Four Lessons of Politics
He maintains that all his life, he’s done nothing else but politics and politicking. And that there are four salient lessons he has long learnt in plying the trade:
“they will take decision that will be binding on you, while you are out.
They will plot against you while you are snoring away in their midst.
care of anybody. That your best friend may be envying your position and could drop anything into your food or drink. If you leave your food or drink unattended to, don’t come back to it
avoid any misgiving or misconception, don’t get too close to the wife of your boss.
The Killing of
Osisi ka nku was the nickname of an outlaw who was a very notorious and deadly criminal who specialized in kidnapping and robbery. He was based in Aba, Abia State. He terrorized the people to no end about seven or so year ago.
He was, as usual, credited with untold mystic powers. Then one day, he and his gang attacked and killed Ambassador Ignatius Ajuru, a mentor to Chibuike Amaechi. Ajuru was returning to Port Harcourt from Abia State. That was what drew Amaechi and his Israeli-trained security operatives into the fray, especially as the criminal had started kidnapping school children and women. In no time, they arrested Osisi ka nku’s armourer, who in turn, revealed the operational modus of the man himself. He (armourer) invited him (the boss) to a meeting without knowing that soldiers, police and DSS operatives were all laying in ambush at the venue of the meeting. Soon as he (Osisi ka nku) alighted from his SUV, that night, he was bathed with hot lead from all angles. That was the end of that terrorist.
The Miracle of N200million
During the battle of the Rivers State governorship in 2007, Amaechi had fled to Ghana while the battle to get on the ballot raged. In no time, he ran broke. Very broke. Feeding was now a problem. His children were being sent out of school. Things were rock hard and poverty was laying its steely grip on the family. Then, he was a prayer warrior, as he fasted everyday from 6am to 6pm amidst prayers and held midnight prayers from midnight till 1.00am every night.
One day, he challenged God to compel one of his rich friends to give him money. He had barely finished the midnight prayer that night when his phone rang. Behold, it was the rich friend on the line. After the pleasantries, he (Amaechi) told him how bad things had been. It was on a Friday. By Monday, the man had flown in to Nigeria from UK and sent Amaechi N200 million! “God used to show me everything and answer me speedily”, he boasted.
By 10.15 pm, the train had returned to Iju, and as we managed to get off the train, the muscles and joints were wailing, signaling how hard they had been dealt with in the more than 12–hour expedition called rail inspection.