CCECC to complete Lagos-Ibadan rail signals, communication system March 2022

Three months after the inauguration of the standard gauge Lagos-Ibadan rail by President Muhammadu Buhari, the signal and communication system has not been operational.

The Project Liaison Officer of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Mr Yakubu Adogie, who stated this, however, promised that the company was already working to complete the system before the first quarter of 2022.

He spoke in Lagos when members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Transportation visited the Ebute Meta headquarters of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and inspected the new rail line including the Bola Tinubu Railway Station, Apapa.

Concerns have been raised about system along new railway corridor over delay in the completion of the signalling system.

The signalling system helps to maintain a safe distance between trains on the same track, safeguard train movement at junctions and regulate their passage according to the service density and speed required.

A statement by the NRC on Monday reported the CCECC liaison officer as saying that the company was also working on the plumbing, power supply and telecommunications of other stations within the new Lagos-Ibadan railway corridor.

Adogie lamented that despite intervention of the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, in July and payment of compensation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) log room building had not been demolished to give way for the construction of the other two lines to connect Apapa port.

The Projects Manager of TEAM Construction Company Nig. Ltd, Leonardo Portanova, spoke on the overhead bridges and crossings in the Lagos end of the rail line.

According to him, the Lagos State Government is constructing seven overhead bridges while TEAM would build six overhead crossings.

The Chairman, Joint Senate/House Committee on Transportation, Abdulfatai Buhari, said the legislators would support the NRC with necessary legislative framework to ensure effective rail transport and boost inter-regional business in the country.

He promised the committee’s commitment for excellent delivery on the NRC’s mandate in line with international best practices.

“You are all aware that the joint committee is carrying out its statutory constitutional responsibilities to ascertain the level of work done.

He said, “We are here to oversee how funds appropriated in the past fiscal years were expended and how much needed for the smooth running of the corporation against the next budgetary allocation.

“We had the benefit of listening to your presentation and recommendations at the last budget defence as regards the performance on 2020 budget and 2021 budget appropriations.”

Buhari said that the committee’s visit was not to witch-hunt the corporation but to collaborate and ensure the rail revitalisation agenda as well as infrastructural development programme of the current administration.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Transportation, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, asked the contractors to open a good channel of communication with them to enable that the committee defend them on their requirements to make the land transport viable for business.

He also urged the NRC management to always make their reports available quarterly to improve the synergy with the National Assembly.

He said the committee also sought the need for housing scheme for workers to improve staff welfare and enhance efficiency.

Earlier in his presentation, the NRC Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria, gave current personnel strength of the corporation as 10,672 with current personnel cost of N9.137 billion for 2021.

He also said that a total of 1,000 additional workers would be required for the operation of the new Lagos-Ibadan rail line, with additional wage bill of N567, 451,300 per annum.

He pleaded with the committee to support the NRC to achieve its goal of expanding the operations nationwide for effective transportation of people and freight.

Okhiria added, “On corporation’s revenue generation since 2020, NRC has remitted N1. 126bn to Federal Government approved dedication TSA Account domiciled with the CBN.”