Nat'l Assembly C'ttees Pass Vote of Confidence on NRC, Promise Support in 2016 Budget

Nat'l Assembly C'ttees Pass Vote of Confidence on NRC, Promise Support in 2016 Budget 

Sunday Okobi

The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Land Transport have commended the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on various facilities put in place to move the Nigerian railway system forward, promising to strengthen the corporation operations through the 2016 appropriation.

The federal lawmakers noted that in line with their constitutional responsibility to carry out periodic oversight function as a committee, they are particularly concerned about the rail mass transit department in the Ministry of Transportation in order to take Nigerian railway system to a global level. 

The Chairman, Senate committee on land transport, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa, who expressed delight over the level of attainment in the railway subsector yesterday during the committee inspection tour at the railway headquarters in Lagos, said: It is very heartening that we have been able to move around and see that as against the belief that the rail system in Nigeria is dead, a great effort has been put in to ensure that the railway system comes alive.” 

 

The senator said though “we have not gotten there yet, we have taken the steps in the right direction,” adding that “I must however congratulate the management of NRC. We know their constraints but these constraints require that they come up with a lot of initiatives and make the breakthrough.”

He added that it was quite obvious that while Nigeria inches closer to where it ought to be as a nation in the area of land transport, it is not clearly anywhere close to the mark, state that: “We will try our best to make sure the railway system continues to trail the blaze of visionary people to move it forward.”

Continuing, Ashafa noted that: “Thankfully, we can all attest to the attitudinal change in governance which has ensure that the budget for construction of railways in Nigeria has significantly increase from meager N565, 170, 128 appropriated in 2015 to N90, 043, 073 649 proposed by this present government.

“Funding is one aspect that is seriously affecting the corporation, however, I believe strongly that if they make good enough case, particularly now that we are considering the 2016 appropriation, some concession can be given by way of moving some funds from one area to the other in order to meet their obligations.

 

“The task of moving from a dispensation of single track rail lines to the standard gauge for a start and then towards exploring possibilities of electronic rail system depends on all of us. Of particular interest is the safe control system which has been put in place, which is quite visionary and in line with global practices in developed countries where train system is efficient.

“On our part as lawmakers holding the mandate of our constituent, we are totally committed to the actualisation of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda, a change which must be felt in the area of land transport with particular focus on our rail transport sector. 

 

“We also discovered in the course of our inspection that if enough investment is made in the railway system, the possibility of removing the pressure on our road is so glaring.” 

 

In his remark, NRC Managing Director, Adeseyi Sijuwade, who was delighted with what he described as eventful tour, stated that he and his team were committed to bringing in positive change to the railway sector, just as he shed light on how the corporation management has put in effort to resuscitate the sector, which has been in comatose for many years, taking it to a greater height.

Sijuwade who hinted that against the rumours making the rounds, “there is no single ghost workers or contractor in NRC,” said: “Following substantial progress on the ongoing rehabilitation project, NRC now operates mass transit trains, intercity passenger trains, cargo trains, excursion trains and specialise chartered trains all over the country.

“We are equally optimistic of commencing the movement of petroleum products from Lagos to North soonest to further strengthen railway relevance to the economic growth of the country, as we equally appreciate your exemplary commitment to uplift our railways to play its design dominant role as the wheel of Nigerian economy.”

He said the inspection tour was significant because it gave all stakeholders the ample opportunity to observe what NRC has been doing in the railway sector to take burden off the road, describing it as unprecedented  event.

On his observation, the Chairman, House committee on land transport, Hon Aminu Sani Isah, said he was pleased with what he saw on ground, adding that “with these, the Nigerian railways is poise to get to the height of rail transport by the grace of God. And with the 2016 appropriation, we will intervene positively. As lawmakers, we will do all we can to make this corporation a performing corporation as well as partner the NRC management to keep it moving to its destination.

“Although ours has not attain the level of that of United States, England, South Africa or China in terms of modern railway (e-railway), with what I have seen on ground, if give the chance and adequate support,  we will meet up with the international standard.”