Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi turned a train conductor in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital last week. This was hours after he had been welcomed by a huge crowd during his first official engagement in the state which he ruled for about eight years.
Amaechi, a former Rivers Governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Assembly, was in Port Harcourt for the inauguration of Port Harcourt-Aba (in Abia State) Mass Transit Train Service at the Port Harcourt Station of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Policemen, especially of the traffic department, had it so tough on Wednesday, December 16, sweating profusely in the scorching sun, in their attempts to control the traffic, which was at a standstill for some hours.
Most of the teeming associates of Amaechi, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and an ex-Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of Nigerian Houses of Assembly, as well as reporters had to alight and parked their cars in safe places and trekked long distances to the railway terminus at the old Port Harcourt Township, popularly called Town.
The former Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation also had a hectic time, before getting to the NRC’s office.
The kick-off was fixed for 10 a.m., but the minister of transportation and members of his entourage could not get to the venue until 11:55 a.m.
Immediately after inaugurating the fully-air-conditioned train, with executive seats, the ex-chairman of NGF decided to ride it to Aba, with the other coaches occupied by his associates, admirers and top government officials.
By the time the event was rounded off, it became a Herculean task to control the surging crowd, making the transportation minister to become emergency conductor, as he stood by the door checking in some persons and had to apologise to many others, for not being able to make the historic journey.
Amaechi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also played the role of an official of NRC, by holding a flag and standing by the side of the train, to direct passersby and motorists on the railway.
Most people who saw Amaechi with the flag were eager that the mass transit train service should quickly commence, thereby putting an end to the horrible traffic on the deplorable Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu expressway, which now has craters at the middle of the federal road.
The historic inauguration was also attended by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika; the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation; Alhaji Sabiyu Zakari, and the Managing Director of NRC, Adeseyi Sijuwade.
Also in attendance were retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte; a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Nimi Briggs; eminent monarchs from Rivers and Abia states; ex-Rivers commissioners and Wike’s former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, who recently resigned, among others.
Amaechi, in his address, assured that the Federal Government would take a position on the Port Harcourt International Airport, ranked as the worst in the world, as soon as possible.
He also gave an assurance that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s would revive the railway sub-sector.
Amaechi said: “I want to say to the Governor of Abia State that there is no political party in development. Just like we say, naira has no colour. So, there is no PDP, no APC. If your governor is ready to contribute to mass transit in Aba and Abia, we are ready to work with him.
“It is with great delight and humility that myself and the Minister of State for Aviation welcome you to this landmark event of formal flag-off of the Port Harcourt -Aba Mass Transit Train Service by the NRC, which marks another milestone in the development of railway system in Nigeria.
“I am delighted to note that as part of the ongoing efforts and commitment of the Federal Government to provide safe and affordable means of mass transportation in the country, the NRC has completed the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Aba rail line, being segment of the narrow guage Eastern rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, and the line is ready for commissioning and commence operations.
“This administration’s plan is to revive the railway sub-sector and achieve a Nigerian railway system that is modern, safe and affordable, and could serve as a vehicle for the delivery of sustainable economic growth, social harmony and political stability. The trains will run between Port Harcourt and Aba, with stops at key locations along this important corridors. Without doubt, the services will enhance significantly, commercial activities and foster integration among the people of Rivers and Abia States.
“I have the pleasure to inform you that the Federal Government, through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, is planning the remodelling and the redevelopment of our major railway stations within the country. Under the rail modernisation programme, government will open new railway lines to achieve an efficient rail network.”
In an interview with reporters in Port Harcourt, Amaechi expressed optimism that Nigerians would continue to experience change, especially in the transportation sector.
On the number of jobs the project would create for people in the Southsouth and Southeast zones of Nigeria, the minister of transportation stated that it was not the direct jobs that were important.
He said as soon as the train commenced operation, the indirect jobs were by far more important, stressing that people would start getting services and there would be activities, as the train would be stopping in every station, with many people hawking one thing or another.
Amaechi assured that the informal economic activities would blossom the economy of the country, especially the economy between Port Harcourt and Aba.
The transportation minister disclosed that there would be a new rail line that would pass through Port Harcourt, noting that the Nigerian government was going to do basically two and the seven would be done with private investors.
The permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, in his remarks, noted that the Port Harcourt-Aba mass transit train service was part of the remarkable success stories of the Buhari’s administration.
The king and paramount ruler of Port Harcourt, His Majesty Eze Victor Woluchem, Eze Epara Rebisi XII, stated that the railway and trains that were moribund had now come back to life, just a few weeks after the inauguration of Amaechi as transportation minister.
The managing director of the NRC stated that since the inception of Port Harcourt railway station in 1912, so many passenger and cargo trains had traversed the rail network.
He reiterated that sequel to the substantial progress on the rehabilitation of the existing narrow-gauge network of Eastern Rail Line, traversing Port Harcourt to Gombe, the NRC, earlier this year, commenced inter-city train service from Port Harcourt to Kano and Port Harcourt to Gombe.
Sijuwade noted that the kick-off was the first time of establishing a mass transit train service between Port Harcourt and Aba, reiterating that Rivers state is the home of oil and gas, as well as a commercial nerve centre.
NRC’s managing director disclosed that the train has 68-seater air-conditioned modern passenger coaches, together with standard class coaches, stressing that the train would always run four trips daily from Monday to Saturday and would depart Aba at 5 a.m. and get to Port Harcourt at 7:15 a.m. and return, while the second train would leave Aba at 3 p.m.
Sijuwade said: “Movement relating to business transaction within the Ariaria International Market in Aba and other markets like Oil Mills, Mile One, School Road and Diobu Markets in Port Harcourt are done mostly by road.
“In both cities (Port Harcourt and Aba), booming shopping centres and new markets, where fabric materials, plastics and motor parts are sold, are not fully patronised, due to bad roads between Aba and Port Harcourt.
“Port Harcourt is renowned for being the homestead of petroleum and gas industries and a commercial nerve centre of the Southsouth, showcasing full-scale inter-modal trades, with the presence of an international airport, inland container depots, seaports and petroleum produce facility bases. The associated business activities undoubtedly require the mass movement of people by rail.”
Sijuwade added that the train service would surely reduce congestion on Port Harcourt-Aba expressway, while business activities would be enhanced, assuring that production capacity in all facets of the economy would operate at optimal levels.
Source: The Nation
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