Railway
Reps summon Amaechi, NPA management over unaccounted N166bn
The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority over N166,685,929,000 revenue that accrued to the authority as of December 31, 2016 but was not properly captured in the statement of account of the agency.
They are also to explain the cost of services rendered to the NPA, which amounted to about N103.996 billion, including channels and water ways maintenance (N65.130 billion) and Port and Quays Expenses (N38.412 billion).
They were initially expected to appear on Thursday before the House Committee on Public Account but were said to have pleaded for another date.
They were reportedly given July 8 to appear before the committee.
It was learnt that they are expected to respond to audit queries contained in the comments of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF) on the group financial statement of the NPA for 2016.
They are also expected to give a breakdown of the Ports and Quays Services income, stating the income from each of the services, scheduled oil terminal dues, details of pilotage and service boats and the nature of rental services offered and the rates applied to them.
Besides, the AuGF said both parties are expected to answer questions from the lawmakers, giving a breakdown of maintenance, budgetary provisions and evidence of work done on the channels and waterways as “examination of the accounts revealed that the channels and waterways maintenance rose from N44.427 billion in 2015 to N64.130 billion in 2016, an increase of over N20 billion.
The comments suggest that the NPA incurred about N38.412 billion as service charge on the Ports and Quays and demanded that the management of the authority provide details on how the charges were incurred and to explain what they meant by the term “others” for which about N4.7 billion was spent.
The AuGF said further examination of the accounts of the NPA revealed that Intels Integrated Services Limited was overpaid its commission by N2.099 billion.
Amaechi and the NPA management are also to explain what happened to the dividend of N643.006 million received from their joint venture partners as well as interest income of about N97.8 million and N28.7 million, being the interest from bank deposits and interest on loan and receivables.
Other queries against the NPA include administrative expenses of N61 billion, which include professional charges of N638 million, donation and subscription of N1.88 billion, exchange loss of N7.3 billion, defined benefit expenses of N11.4 billion and director’s remuneration of N4.2 million.
The AuGF’s query, signed by Adolphus Aghughu and dated May 24, 2021, also identified what it called understatement of depreciation charges amounting to N6.4 billion.
He stressed that “the provision made against eight classes of property amounted to N4.472 billion as against N10.891 million arrived at during vetting”.
The AuGF added, “If, however, the under-provision of depreciation was attributable to assets which have been fully written down, the nominal values at which such assets were retained in the books should be disclosed.”
Railway
NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six
NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.
A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.
This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.
The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.
The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”
The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.
The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.
“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.
“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.
The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.
Railway
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.
This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.
The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.
For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.
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“Catch our extra Friday & Saturday train trips on LAGOS – IBADAN TRAIN SERVICE (LITS).
“LAGOS to IBADAN:
“•Times: 7:45am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm
“IBADAN to LAGOS:
“•Times: 8:00am, 10:50am, 4:30pm,” NRC’s tweet read in part.
This tweet by the Nigerian Railway Corporation further noted that the new schedule complements the existing Sunday-to-Thursday trips, which remain unchanged with departure times at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm from both Lagos and Ibadan.
This move by the NRC to expand the schedule is aimed at accommodating increased demand, particularly during weekends, and providing greater flexibility for commuters traveling between Lagos and Ibadan.
The move is expected to ease travel pressures and improve convenience for passengers on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes.
Travelers are encouraged to take advantage of the additional services and book tickets early via the e-ticketing website. to secure their spots, especially as the Lagos-Ibadan rail route continues to grow in popularity.
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
Railway
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.
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“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Adamu Aliero, says the African Development Bank has released $350 million to the Federal Government for construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi,” the NAN report read in part.
He also highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China focused on finalizing negotiations for 85% of the financing needed to upgrade and rehabilitate the nation’s rail infrastructure.
Aliero disclosed that the supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly allocated over N530 billion as counterpart funding for these modernization efforts. The remaining 85% of the funds will be sourced from institutions such as China Exim Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and AfDB.
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
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