Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, has appealed to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to speed up the rehabilitation of the Aba-Umuahia-Enugu section of the rail line to improve transportation in the South-East corridor.
Otti, who made the call on Wednesday during a meeting with a delegation of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), led by Kayode Opeifa, the new managing director of NRC, re-emphasised the critical role of transportation in the economic development and growth of Nigeria.
The governor described transportation as a sector that is important to economic development and growth, according to BusinessDay.
While expressing concerns that progress had stalled on the Aba to Enugu section of the railway corridor, as they were originally scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2024, the Abia state governor expressed confidence that the trajectory of NRC work would change positively under the new managing director.
“I have no doubt that the ideas that have been on the table even long before you came on board, may have been struggling, but I believe that as you get down to work, it would be done.
“The speed with which the other parts of the corridor were executed and the speed at which the execution is happening right now are different, but, I am sure you’ll change the trajectory soon.”
On concerns raised about the security of NRC assets in Aba, Governor Otti assured that he would look into the issue and provide necessary support, including logistics, emphasising that his government does not discriminate between federal and state projects, but is always willing to partner with individuals or agencies that want to bring development to the State.
Otti reiterated his administration’s commitment to overhauling the state’s transport sector to enhance economic activities, and disclosed that efforts are ongoing to modernise the transport system in the state.
“We felt it was important to replicate the Transport system we have seen elsewhere, not necessarily in Oshodi.
“Actually, we were thinking of Paddington in the UK, where you have the bus terminal, train and everything converging in a place. Paddington never sleeps, that’s the kind of business we want to introduce in Umuahia,”Governor Otti assured.
Kayode Opeifa, managing director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, disclosed that the essence of the meeting was to deepen discussions and the plans on how best to revive the Aba-Umuahia rail line.
According to him, the corporation, which intends to add value to the nation’s economy, targets to reduce inflation, stabilise the economy and reduce the cost of transporting goods and services, adding that they have the mandate to ensure that all major cities in the South-East are connected to the national rail line.
The meeting featured a presentation on the ongoing construction of Umuahia Railway and Bus terminal, by Kingsley Agomoh, general manager, Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA).
