The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Wednesday conducted during a train inspection tour of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line.
The train departed the Iddo station before midday with the minister and top management staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
Amaechi said the contractors working on the 156km modern rail project did not meet his target for the inspection.
The Minister had in August set a December deadline for the completion of the three mega stations at Ebute Metta, Kajola and Omi-Adio in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states and a September deadline for seven minor stations.
The railway line is being constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
The minister said, “They (the contractors) didn’t meet my target for this inspection. My target was by September 15, they will finish the minor stations. But they gave an excuse that because of COVID-19, they don’t have enough engineers on site. As for me, I want this job done because I want to move out of Lagos.
“By end of October, they should finish the minor stations and by the end of December, they will finish the three major stations excluding Apapa but we are insisting that a special task force is set up to complete it within the same time as the others.”
Amaechi added that there had been changes since the last time he inspected the railway line.
On the accident that occurred along the railway line in Oshodi on Monday, Amaechi expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and advised Lagosians to stay clear of the rail tracks
