Former Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that he was angry with former
governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, over the way he handled the metro line
project, especially the blue line.
He spoke during the Intermodal Transportation
Summit in Lagos organised by the Transportation Correspondents’ Association of
Nigeria (TCAN) with the theme, “Intermodal Transport: Prospects and
Challenges.”
He recalled that the federal government had
allowed the Lagos State government to make use of the Nigeria Railway
Corporation (NRC) track for the red line but the former governor didn’t take
the project seriously.
Amaechi also recalled that there was a
monorail project in Rivers State before the Lagos State Government started its
project.
Daily Trust reports that the Lagos State
Government is the first sub-national to commission metro lines with the
inauguration of red line and blue line.
Amaechi, however, commended the present
administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for taking up the projects and
seeing them to completion.
He said, “There was monorail in Rivers State.
But in all honesty, Lagos State has done well in rail transportation. The place
I nearly got angry was when Ambode almost gave up the blue line.
“I tried to get Ambode. I tried through the
Vice-President, I reported him to the President until the new governor came. I
said, “listen, we were about to close the line. There is a line the Ministry of
Transport would give you based on our agreement.”
“Ambode had told me as if they were not
interested. He said they were to construct it (a new track). I said, “no don’t
construct, use the federal government’s corridor. There is not enough train
movement, buy your own coaches and run on our tracks.”
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