Mokwa flood: FG to soon restore North-South rail services — NRC MD
By Mohammed Baba Busu
The Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa says the Federal Government is working hard to urgently restore rail services between the Northern and Southern parts of the country.
Opeifa said this on Wednesday in Mokwa, Niger, when he paid an assessment visit to rail infrastructure affected by the recent flood disaster.
The NRC boss explained that the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Sai’du Ahmed-Alkali, who was supposed to lead the delegation on the assessment visit was out of the country and has asked that he represent him.
According to the Managing Director, the Federal Government was seriously concerned about the extent of devastation to the rail tracks particularly in Mokwa, which was washed away by the recent flood.
According to Opeifa, the Federal Government will leave no stone unturned to expeditiously repair the damaged rail tracks.
This, he said, was necessary so as to reduce the impact of the stoppage of rail services between the North and South.
“We are here to assess the extent of damage done and explore urgent measures to provide plausible engineering solutions to the problem.
“We have spoken to some of the community people, the elderly, the young and others.
“They have lamented the level of devastation and they have attested that it has never happened like this, though it’s a natural phenomenon
“We pray God in His infinite mercy to grant the souls of the deceased Aljannat Firdaus and we have condoled with the bereaved families,” Opeifa said.
He said that hitherto the NRC was in discussions with the Niger Government to provide intra city rail service from Jebba to Minna via Mokwa.
“We were set for everything and we were just striving to raise the needed funds for this vital project,” the managing director said.
Opeifa stated that the Federal Government would soon swing into action and repair the washed away portions of the rail tracks, stressing “this would be done as soon as possible to move goods from Minna to Lagos and vice versa.
“The integrity of the track is now in question due to the wash out and this would be fixed soonest.
“We will collaborate with the relevant federal and state agencies to get this done.
“This is with the view to revamping the economy and bolstering the socioeconomic prosperity of the state and the country in general.”
The managing director also disclosed plans by the Federal Government to improve on the existing rail lines across the country and provide modern coaches for them.(NAN)
