Nigeria’s transport minister charges NRC on passenger train, freight statistics

ROTIMI AMAE CHI, NIGERIA’S minister of transportation, has directed the management of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to provide periodic statistics of the number of passengers it moves.

The minister gave the directive while fielding questions from newsmen after the inspection tour of the completed 157 kilometres Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project that was newly commissioned by President Muhammadu last month. He demanded that the NRC should also intensify efforts on its operations along new the Itakpe-Warri passenger and freight movement operations including the Abuja-Kaduna service.

The minister regretted that the breakdown of operations along the Kaduna-Abuja trains was due to late arrival of spare parts from China. This is even as he revealed that the Lagos-Ibadan trains conveyed 42,000 passengers in the month of June. He disclosed that some spare parts that are being expected for the Lagos-Ibadan trains will be used for the KadunaAbuja train locomotives when they arrive.

According to Rotimi Amaechi, “After the last breakdown of the Kaduna-Abuja train, I instructed the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to rest that particular locomotive. I am surprised that there was a delay related to another breakdown in the early hours of today.

He stated that issue with the break-down of the Kaduna-Abuja train is due to lack of maintenance which is not unconnected to a lack of spare parts from China. “We have written to Mr President on this issue and he has graciously approved the purchase of spare parts for the Lagos-Ibadan trains’’.

Very soon he promised, the Chinese people will supply enough spare parts for the Lagos-Ibadan rail. By the time that is done, some of these spare parts for the Kaduna-Abuja trains and hopefully, the issue of incessant breakdown of the trains will be resolved.

“On the Lagos-Ibadan trains, 42,000 passengers were moved in June.