Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the current administration will not “abandon the good ideas” of previous governments, including that of former president, Goodluck Jonathan. Amaechi said this at Idu, Abuja, on Thursday, while inspecting the Abuja-Kaduna Rail project along with the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Company. He said N150 billion would be used to execute the national rail project, with another N60 billion for the Lagos-Kano standard gauge and yet another N60 billion for the Lagos-Calabar project. “What we are doing is implementation of what we met in office. We are not among those who will abandon good ideas,” he said. “If we see an idea that is good, we will adopt it. The Lagos-Kano project was awarded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and we are flying with it. “The Lagos-Calabar project was awarded by former President Goodluck Jonathan and we are also flying with it. What we are doing is implementing those projects that have not been implemented for so many years.” He said the Abuja-Kaduna Rail project was 100 per cent complete and would be launched in May. Amaechi explained that before the launch by President Muhammadu Buhari, there would be a test-run of the rail in March. “The essence of my tour is to enable us assess whether we are ready for commercial activities and I think we are. I will be travelling from Abuja to Kaduna tomorrow through the rail,” he said. “In March, they should start the test-run of the rail services for free, then the proper commercial activity will start in May, where we expect the President to flag-off the use of coaches.”

He advised the contractor to make provisions for temporary stations in Abuja, since Idu is “too far from the city centre”. Amaechi suggested that since the Abuja light rail project had yet to commence, the tracks could be used to pick passengers from the city centre to Kaduna. “The Abuja light rail is expected to start from Abuja and de-board passengers at Idu from where such passengers will move to Kaduna but since the Abuja light rail is not ready, we shall use their tracks to continue to pick passengers from Abuja until they are ready and then we will disengage the temporary facility,” he said. “The role of the station is to convey passengers to Idu, where they will be transferred to the national rail line to proceed to Kaduna.”

He said the only challenge with the project was the fencing. “We need to fence the lines to prevent animals from crossing the rail,” he said. “The tracks are finished and the signalling at Idu is also completed but the major problem we have is fencing and it is because of the peculiar nature of our culture. “Because of our culture, we have to fence and we are going to spend close to $100 million to fence the tracks from Abuja to Kaduna just because we have to protect the railway from animals and human crossing. “The train currently goes at the speed of 60 to 70 kilometres per hour for fear of humans and animals crossing the rail; by the time we start commercial activities, we must secure its path. “We will be running on 120 to 150 kilometres when the trains go commercial; that speed cannot accommodate human and animals crossing the rail, so to protect human beings and animals, we are going ahead with the fencing.”

He said he had instructed CCECC to construct a Railway Academy, where Nigerians would be trained on how to operate the rail system. “I have told the construction company that they will need to build a Railway Academy, where experts will be employed to train Nigerians on how to operate the standard gauge,” he said. “Nigeria is not a dumping ground for technology; you cannot dump technology on us unless you bring the technology with the expertise.”

Earlier in his remarks, Jack Li, managing director of CCECC, said the project, which started in 2011, could not be completed in 2015 as estimated, due to lack of funds. “Finance is part of the challenge delaying the project because it has been long that we received the counterpart fund,” he said. “But we are lucky that the minister has brought back the counterpart funding for us, and we have therefore continued. “The work was delayed for more than half a year; but I expect that all the works will be completed by the middle of May, which is in line with what the minister said.”


https://www.thecable.ng/amaechi-we-wont-abandon-jonathans-ideas

Good move.
Indication of positive change. but cost of fence seems outrageous at current exchange rate.

E don happen. He finally accepts that. GEJ has a good idea for once.


This APC people sha. They're worst than zika_virus


Hope lie mohamed won't deny that. Amechi ever said so

Just one *like for GEJ ..

The stone that the builders rejected has turned to be the chief corner stone

Zombies & E-rats go be like "why is this man setting up dinner for wailers naa!"...& they'l be like "food for the wailers"...

Wailers go be like "We thought the ineffectual buffon was a 'no-do-good' president? Why are you adopting his progressive ideas?" Then some will be like "Once, it was one Fash who confessed; now Chy has followed suit...soon Lai will do so!"

I jus de laf...dazzul

Finally
they didnt blame GEJ for awarding projects

$100 million to fence the tracks from Abuja to Kaduna just because we have to protect the railway

$100m for fence ? At current exchange rate, that means 37 billion naira. Amaechi has come again. Same way he used N100m to build one pillar in his PH monorail.

Hehehe Oga Gej it shall be well with you. If AMAECHI open mouth and say this, what else can i say?

Jeffboi:
E don happen. He finally accepts that. GEJ has a good idea for once.


This people sha. They worse than zika_virus

Finally the "ineffectual buffoon" has good ideas that this administration can't ignore, i thought APC claimed this man never did anything good or right for that matter...

Well APC and lies are siamese twins...

I thought you people said he was clueless?

So something good can realy come out from Jonathan?

Hmmmm. 100 million dollar for fencing. How much the construction of tracks. ?

ngeneukwenu and passingshot cum dropshot see your life …



hahaha you people are following the clueless one, now who is clueless?

Like u have any nEw ideas

What were you people expecting? For him to abandon all the projects and go for new one? Na una go still come here shout if he does so. He said all the uncompleted projects of all previous governments. You guys act like GEJ was the only President since independence. Wailing daily is not good for the body because 2019 is still far.

We won't abandon jonathan ideas, Amaechi.
only when it favors the northern region .

like say buhari has something new to offer


gerarahere men

Demdem:
Which of our politicians doesnt have good ideas. the issue isnt the ideas perse but putting it to work. The same jonah-daft had the TSA idea but the coward never had the guts to implement it. It took Buhari less than a month to start putting it to work. The drunkard was rightly booted out for his cowardice. Even Dasuki have good ideas. NEXT.

Wailers how market. Let the wailing continue.

Idi Amin had good ideas, Hitler had good Ideas, Abacha had good Ideas, Babangida had good Ideas, Osama had good Ideas any mo*ron can have good ideas that doesn't change the fact that they are mo*ron. The clueless one of Otuoke, Sir Jonathan Inefficial Buffoon, had some good ideas that does not change the fact that he and his gang of rapist raped Nigeria to a comma

due to lassa fever, rat don rule and cat don hide... due to the worse situation naija dey, i knw he ll say this....

A lot of Nigerians are beginning to understand that GEJ/PDP was not the problem of Nigeria and Buhari/APC is not the solution.

Buhari's govt made so much noise about presenting 'zero budget.' He also took 6 months of his time to select his 'angels' - people he feels that can perform wonders with him.

Their first outing as a team was to present a budget. They made history by being the first govt to investigate their own budget instead of defend it.

In all this distraction and clueless-ness, Buhari claims ignorance. He claims not to know what he read on the floor of Senate. He blames the 'Budget mafia', GEJ and everyone but himself. The same way he's going to blame someone else for the nonsense contracts he has been signing as he shuttles around the world.
That is his antic - blaming others for his mess.

In 1970s he claimed not to know how $2.1 billion disappeared from NNPC account and was found in Midland bank, London.

In 1984, he claimed not to know about the coup that ousted Shagari. He lied he was invited to lead Nigeria after the coup succeeded, whereas he was one of the leaders of the coup, just as he was also part of the coup that ousted Gowon and the counter-coup that killed Ironsi.

In 1998, he claimed not to know how N25 billion disappeared from PTF account which he headed. He blamed everybody but himself.

In 2015, he feigned ignorance about the location of his landed property in Rivers State.

In 2016, he is feigning ignorance about how N1 trillion was padded in the budget.

That is how he'll be feigning ignorance and blame his way to 2019. Nigeria was designed by the British to fail, otherwise a man like Buhari shouldn't be anywhere near Aso Rock. He should be a mere visitor, not occupant.

- Slik O. Austin

Finally the Zombie of Ubima has accepted that GEJ had good ideas,who is fooling who in this zoo called Nigeria?? Nonsense.

Okay

Jonathan had ideas? This is news.

With time u apc guyz will beg gej to come bck ...that the sit is too hot for u

.

Meanwhile
BOOOHARI AND OSUBANDE
Back in the days