A Pressure Group known as The Thursday Group (TTG) has petitioned the Ogun State House of Assembly over the pronouncement of Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi that the proposed Calabar-Lagos Rail line, with accredited route and stations in Ogun State has been redirected from Ore in Ondo State to now terminate Lekki Free Trade Zone.
The Convener of the group, Akogun Kola Onadipe in an open petition to the Assembly, faulting the claim of the Minister declared that the implication of this diversion was absolutely grave and against the interest of Ogun State economy.
The body recalled that, Amaechi made the pronouncement some few weeks ago during the launch of Gateway Bus Transit at Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital, arguing that such position was uncalled for in the interest of the state
‘Some weeks ago and during the launch of Gateway Bus Transit at Abeokuta, the Minister of Transport-Mr Rotimi Amaechi, who incidentally has now declare interest to seek electoral votes of Nigerians, to become the next President come Feb 2023, and who was a special Guest of Honour at the event, surprisingly and publicly revealed that the proposed Calabar-Lagos Rail line, with accredited route and stations, designed/approved by the Federal Executive Council-FEC, to pass through major cities in Ogun State, have been redirected from Ore (Ondo State) to now terminate at Lekki Free Trade Zone, presumably to accommodate the Dangote Refinery heavy product cargo transportation’, the petition pointed out.
‘Surprisingly and perhaps ignorantly, every persons seated as participants at the Gateway Bus launch, clapped for the Minister. The implication of this diversion however is absolutely grave and surely against the interest of Ogun State economy, considering the ongoing public and private investments that have already commenced on the Ogun Agro-Cargo Airport which hitherto has a train station at Iperu and the new dual carriage Ijebuode-Epe recently commissioned by PMB, which was executed in advance to take secondary cargo from Lekki to the rail station earlier designed at Ijebu-Ode-Ilese’. Onadipe argued.
‘Same with the expected Road construction to carry cargo from Olokola Free Trade Zone to link up with the Train Station at Alakuko on the now cancelled Rail route from Ore-Kajola-Alakuko-Ijebuode-Iperu-Itori, which link the already commissioned Lagos-Ibadan Rail line’.
The letter noted that, apart from turning these routes to major development growth points, because of easy access to rail transportation for human and goods, new towns, educational institutions and industrial estates are now planned to emerge and are already emerging along these rail routes in anticipation, as employment creation hubs to reducing the notable Rural – Urban unemployment drift.
‘It is clear to some of us however, that the Minister has again demonstrated political and economic ignorance, for diverting or redirecting the rail routes from the established viable route as contained in the pre-Development and Feasibility Studies (as approved in 2012-13 by FEC, for this most economically viable and feasible Railway line in Nigeria’.
‘We are aware of many industries, educational institutions and housing development companies that have applied and received respective State Government land allocations along its route, to commence development based on citing Rail Lines/Stations in and around surrounding environments’.
‘And considering international economic parameters, some State Governments and private sector players/project managers have based their feasibility and viability reports on the distance of these respective projects to the Rail line and Stations, as this serves as major evacuation/marketing points for goods and services. A very important economic index to increasing respective States and local GDP’, he added.
‘‘Indeed Itori in Ogun Central Senatorial District, and which is located within15mins drive from Ilaro in Ogun West Senatorial District, has advantageously position the Railway Station as major Intersection Transport Hub from SE, SS and NC, linkage to Lagos’.
‘This places Itori Railway Station as earlier designed, before the unilateral redirection by the Minister, in the league of Victoria Station in UK, where more than four railway lines converge for easy of movement of passengers and goods’.
‘Rather than the Federal Government of Nigeria redirecting the Rail Route from Ore directly to Lekki in Lagos, courtesy of autocratic policy, several T-off rail line could be designed, considered and approved to the already signed route, as later variation, at Ijebu-Ode-Ilese Station, and to be installed parallel to the new Road commissioned by PMB, has been done in international countries, as the most cheaper option to serve the Dangote Refinery, Deep Sea Port and others in the LekkiFree Trade zone’.
‘And if there’s need for other T-off line at Ore or Kajola or Alakuko, it will also be a cheaper option to serve some riverine areas in Ondo State just as there were T-off junction toYenegoa and Onne in Bayelsa and River States respectively on the Calabar end of the Lagos-Calabar Rail line’
‘Same with a possible T-off line at Benin city-Agbor-Igbuzor-Onitsha-Enugu(another T-off to Abakaliki)-Nsukka-Lokoja-Suleja-Abuja, to complete the Coastaland/to Inner ring Rail lines’, the letter stated.
In view of this the group said its openly calling and imploring all members of Ogun State House of Assembly, to jointly consider the advantages to continue with the original design as approved and present a motion on the floor of the Ogun State House of Assembly, calling on the Ogun State Governor, on behalf of the people of Ogun State, to engage the Federal Government, for the reinstatement of the now suspended rail routes, back to its originally designed route towards Itori and perhaps add a T-off line at Ijebu-Ode-Ilese Rail Station, to link Epe-Lekki.
‘The people of Ogun State will be fully mobilized against this cancellation of Ore-Kajola-Ijebu-Ode-Iperu-Itori Rail route, if the decision by Minister Amaechi is not reconsidered and reversed immediately’.
‘All these unilateral decisions by the Executive arm of Federal Government of Nigeria, as presented by the Minister of Transport, without input from our NASS representatives, must cease in order to balance National integrated development growth around the country’,the body declared.
Meanwhile, copy of the petition was forwarded to Senator Lekan Mustapha, representing Ogun East Senatorial District Constituency at the National Assembly
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