There’s hope for rail transport improvement – Akinwoye

The outgoing Deputy Director, Public Relations, Nigerian Railway Corporation, (NRC), Mr Abdulraouf Akinwoye, has disclosed that through the efforts of the President Buhari Administration, the corporation is set to retake its place as a major player in the economy.

“We are beginning to have a positive feeling of the federal government’s commitment to developing railway sector, I have all reasons to believe and pledge that in four years time, I am not underrating the possibility of people residing in Ilorin and working in Lagos because the federal government has seen it clearly,” he said in an exclusive chat with Daily Times.

He noted that in the past the federal government admitted they ran away from developing the railway sector for reasons best known to them, but that presently the sector is experiencing positive changes which will serve as a catalyst to revamping the economy and providing massive employment in the country.

“In the past, that is in the ‘70s up to early ‘80s we had a work-force of about 42, 000 in Nigeria railways but the neglect led to massive retrenchment, rationalisation, and so many things. But today, we have less than 10, 000 work-force. However, the recent commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna rail-line, shows more positive things to come in earnest,” he said.

“I’m very optimistic that in the next four years railways will surely come up as a major employer of labour because the development will generate employment opportunities.

“For the youths, I want to believe that they are waiting for railways in terms of employment, because the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said it and I can assure you that he means business,” he said.

Given the deplorable state of highways in the country which exposes travellers and goods to high risks, Akinboye urged Nigerians to increase their level of railway patronage which is more convenient and safer.

He commended the present administration for its commitment and swiftness in developing the railways sector as they seek to increase investments in infrastructural development.

He noted that the gateway to Nigeria’s economic buoyancy hinges on the improvement of the railway sector and commitment of the federal government to implementing economic policies.

He said Railways at the global level are a means of positive cultural and economic integration and that Nigeria is now making serious efforts not to be left out of global developmental trends.

Daily Times recall that recently, the Federal Government set up a steering committee to implement the concession of the eastern and western lines of the Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC).

The committee, which is headed by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi is expected to work out the modalities towards ensuring that all obstacles that would impede the attainment of efficient rail system were eliminated.

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stated that the purpose of the committee is to create a one-stop shop for the concession, fast track the process and beat the red tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

He charged the committee to be innovative, urging the members to remove whatever obstacles that stood in the way of a smooth concession process, hoping that the committee will meet its deadlines and end up “to be an example of how it should be done.”

Observing the challenges of bureaucratic bottlenecks in the public service delivery system, he said the Buhari administration was determined to overcome it.

Explaining the importance of the committee, the Vice President added, “I think this steering committee is extremely important, because we have tried to bring together everybody that should be involved in this project in order to see to it that we deliver quickly and efficiently in a manner that justifies Federal Government’s expense in the project.”

The committee is expected to submit its report in six months time. The 20-member committee is composed of officials and individuals from relevant public and private sector agencies and firms.

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