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Nigerian Railway Corporation

Nigerian railway corporation monthly revenue drops from N500m to 1m

by Folarin Kehinde August 31, 2023

written by Folarin Kehinde

Engr. Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, says the monthly revenue realised from train service operations on Abuja-Kaduna rail line has dropped from N500 million to N1 million monthly.

Speaking during the inspection of the Idu Train Station on Wednesday in Abuja, Okhiria said the essence of the tour was to correct some issues highlighted by the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, which include escalators, elevators and allowances of security men.

He explained, “Currently, we do two return trips against the 10 we were doing before that incident and we were running from 6 am to 10 pm but now we have been advised not to exceed 6 pm.

“So, we are hopeful that when the security situation normalises and they are able to advise us, we can start the full operation so that we can break even.”

The Managing Director said that they have paid two months out of the 5 months outstanding allowances and hope to conclude it soon.

LEADING REPORTERS recalls that bandits detonated a bomb on the rail track of Abuja-Kaduna train and successfully immobilised the train between Katari and Rijana last year.

They kidnapped several passengers who were later released after an unspecified amount of ransom was paid.

August 31, 2023 0 comments

Headlines

N91.7B Fraud Alert; Amaechi, Malami sued over alleged illegal rail line contract award

by Leading Reporters February 7, 2022

written by Leading Reporters

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) have been dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged unlawful award of 190 km rail line construction to a Chinese firm without due process of law.

They were sued along with the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the benefitting firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).
Plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2021 Duluidas Nigeria Limited, Duliz Dredging and Construction Limited and Consortium of Duluidas Nigeria Limited, Duliz dredging and Construction Limited/Hebbelyixin Fastener Company Limited, China.

In their writ of summons issued by their lead counsel, James Okoh, the plaintiffs are asking the Federal High Court to cancel the letter of “no objection” issued by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in favour of CCECC for the award of the N91.5bn rail line contract in breach of procurement laws and re-issue same in their favour.

The disputed contract is for the reconstruction of the narrow gauge track from Minna in Niger State to Baro with an extension to the Baro River Port at a whopping sum of N91.5 billion and a completion period of 36 months.

The plaintiffs prayed the court for an injunction restraining the defendants from awarding or purporting to award the contract to the Chinese firm or any third party on the basis of the flawed bidding process.

In the alternative, they sought an order setting aside any purported award on the basis of the flawed and heavily compromised bid process by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) with the concurrence of other defendants.

They also asked for an order restraining the minister of transportation or any of his agents from presenting the CCECC to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the purpose of the award of the contract.

In the same way, they are asking the court to set aside any purported approval received from the Federal Executive Council awarding the disputed contract to any other company during the pendency of the suit.

The plaintiffs, who claimed to have quoted a lesser amount of N76.7 billion for the execution of the same project during their successful bidding, are alleging bias against them by the minister and undue favouritism in favour of the CCECC in the contract award.

They alleged that the minister on May 19, 2021, wrote the BPP for a certificate of no objection in favour of CCECC in the sum of N91, 580, 101, 710 and that by a letter of June 9, 2021, BPP rejected the minister’s request on the claim that such certificate can only be issued to them on the basis of their quotation of N76.7b to execute the job.

They asserted that along the line, other bidding processes were manipulated and compromised leading to receipt of an acceptance letter by the NRC from CCECC for the minister to be presented to the federal executive council for the purpose of the award of the contract.

Plaintiffs, therefore, prayed the court to make a declaration that the action of the minister and his agents in interfering with due process of the bid process for the contract damaged the integrity of the process of law. They also want the court to declare that the minister and his agents were biased in their assessment of the bidding in favour of the CCECC.

Plaintiffs applied for order of injunction against the minister, his ministry and the CCECC from continuing with the award of the contract and execution of same on the basis of a flawed process.

In the alternative, they sought general damages to be quantified against the defendants on a compensatory basis and compound interest for loss of use of money.

Meanwhile, a hearing in the matter has been fixed for February 17, 2022, by Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed.

February 7, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

Amaechi order Contractors to Complete Lekki Deep Seaport Project latest 2022

by Folarin Kehinde September 10, 2021

written by Folarin Kehinde

Victoria Ogunrinde, Abuja

The Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi has directed contractors handling the Lekki Deep Seaport Project to complete the work latest December 2022.

Amaechi stated this on Friday during the Executive session of the 16th National Council on Transportation, held in Kano.

The Minister expressed worry over the delay of the project stated that the project was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

According to him, “I have given them till December 2022 to deliver the project for commissioning. The NPA should follow up on this and make sure we meet that target.”

Meanwhile, Amaechi announced the completion of the National Freight Office (NFO) in Illela, Sokoto State, a pilot scheme which is being replicated in Jibiya, Katsina State and Idiroko, Ogun State.

Similarly, he recognised the achievements made by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), including the take-off of the Deep Blue project, with all assets, vessels, aircrafts and other gadgets acquired.

He also recognised the Ministry’s achievements in the Rail transport sector and the efforts of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), particularly with the Lekki deep seaport and efforts in decongesting Apapa Port.

He also expressed satisfaction that the work at Dala Inland Dry Port is progressing, as well as the primary school he mandated the contractor to build in the area.

“The last time I visited the site, many children were following us all the way into the Dala Dry port. Those were obviously out of school children, and I asked the contractor to build a primary school there and offer free education to the children in that area. The Permanent Secretary has briefed me that the school is now under construction”.

When we come for commissioning, we will commission both the school and the dry port. And it is not enough to commission the school, so we will not commission the dry port, nor the school, except we see teachers and the children in the school. The last time I was there, the contractor assured me that it will be completed by December,” Amaechi said.

He urged all sectors to work towards attracting private investors – local and foreign, to fast-track the growth of the nation’s economy and closing the transport infrastructural gaps in the country, while thanking the Kano state government for their magnanimity in hosting the 2021 National Council on Transportation.

September 10, 2021 0 comments