Kano-Lagos Rail Line: Minister Promises to collaborate with security for timely completion

By Tayo ABIOLA

The Minister of Transport, Saidu Alkali, has directed contractors handling the Kano-Lagos standard gauge railway to use anti-theft clips instead of the metal clips they presently use to hold the rail track.

Alkali told the contractors that the materials they used will make the rail lines easy to vandalise.

Speaking at Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Senator Alkali added, “We came to see by ourselves; seeing is believing. We can appraise the performance of the contractors of the Kaduna-Kano rail project.”

According to him, “You can see as we stand here, we started making some little observations in the clips they are using. We asked them to use anti-theft clips so that they cannot be easily removed”.

Alkali noted, “Although this project has security challenges, we will collaborate with security to ensure we deliver the project to Nigerians in the shortest possible time.”

The project coordinator of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Mark Zoe, disclosed that the project had reached 22.6 per cent completion.

While speaking, on behalf of the contractors, he lamented the security challenge in the area and asked for collaboration with the military.

He hinted that two of their staff were kidnapped along with Tashar Yari in Makarfi LGA of Kaduna State in the last two months.

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