Monday, April 29, 2013

Minister raises the alarm over stealing of rail equipment

MINISTER of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, has decried what he described as frequent stealing of rail components by hoodlums along Port Harcourt-Enugu rail line.
To that end, he has called for adequate policing of the area, to checkmate the incident and assist government to realise the project.
The minister, who spoke after he was briefed by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade, on the rehabilitation of the Eastern Line rail services, said the 2013 completion date for the project remained realisable.
Senator Umar promised to liaise with the Ebonyi State governor, Chief Martin Elechi, towards resolving the issues surrounding the contentious Ishiagu quarry and directed the NRC boss to consider deploying railway police to specific areas of theft, in order not to jeopardise the completion of the project.
The minister had earlier inspected other components imported for track laying at the railway station in Port Harcourt; reconstruction work at Iyama Bridge in Enugu and the erosion sites located at Kilometre 63 in Aba, Abia State, after which he proceeded to Gombe, Bauchi, Jos and Kafanchan and Lafia, Nasarawa State, for further inspection.
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