The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a postponement of the launch of the Port Harcourt-Aba train service to April from its previously scheduled start date at the end of March.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali, during his inspection of the reconstructed railway tracks in Port Harcourt on Friday. The Minister expressed his disappointment over the delay and emphasized that the contractor had given assurances of the project completion in April.
In his statement, Alkali mentioned that the contractor had initially committed to a March start date, but during track inspections, certain observations were made, necessitating the extension of the start date to April. He added that the contractor has now committed to an April launch for the Port Harcourt to Aba railway services.
Furthermore, Alkali said that measures were also being taken to connect both Port Harcourt and Onne seaports to the Port Harcourt to Aba rail track. He expressed displeasure over the failure of the contractor to deliver the work on the agreed deadline, but added that if they can deliver in April, then it could be managed.
He also mentioned that the Federal Government is dedicated to completing all ongoing projects across the country, including the Calabar-Enugu-Abuja gauge rail line awarded by the previous administration. Alkali revealed ongoing efforts to finalize project financing and assured that work on the Ibadan to Abuja standard gauge rail line was progressing. He urged the public to exhibit patience and support the successful delivery of the project.