PDP Jubilates: As Buhari set to launch Jonathan’s Achievements

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that the Abuja-Kaduna rail project, constructed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan, would be launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amaechi, who spoke with journalists after a test ride of the rail project on Wednesday, June 1, said that Buhari would be commissioning the project in July and would be ready for commercial use later in July this year.
This is coming as a vindication of the development strides of the Peoples Democratic Party-led, PDP, government, during the Jonathan era.
Amaechi, had earlier assured Nigerians in February, that the project was 100 percent complete, and would be ready for launch in May 2016, including the Lagos – Calabar project, constructed by Jonathan.

“The Lagos – Calabar project was awarded by former President Goodluck Jonathan and we are also flying with it. What we are doing is implementing those projects that have not been implemented for so many years,” the minister said.
“What we are doing is implementation of what we met in office. We are not among those who will abandon good ideas.
“If we see an idea that is good, we will adopt it. The Lagos – Kano project was awarded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and we are flying with it”.

However, he said that the Buhari administration was committed to ensuring the sustenance of the rail project upon completion in July.

“We are looking at bringing Mr. President to commission in July. In two weeks time, they will do the test run of the track without passengers, after that two weeks, it will take another two weeks to do test run with passengers and it will be free of charge, and that will take us to the end of June.
“Which means by first week in July, we believe that the president will come and flag it off for commercial service,” he said.

The former Rivers governor also said the cost of conveying passengers will be subsidized. He however, noted that the details of cost were still being worked out.

“Is it sustainable? The answer is yes, because it is on its own. If you say whether it will be subsidized, it will be. We are working out the details of how much it will cost to carry passengers and to maintain it,” he said.

Amaechi, also said that the test ride indicated that a part of the phase was already completed.

“At the beginning we had done the test run, but then it was not completed. Today it has been completed. So today is the first test run that we are doing on the completed standard gauge.
“The signaling communication stations are all completed now, so you can actually technically say today is the first day of test running the completed project,” he said.

He pledged that the ministry of transportation will partner with the Nigeria Identity Management Commission, NIMC, to ensure smooth registration of passengers without hitches.