Lagos-Ibadan rail project: Amaechi explains how COVID-19 stalled inauguration

By Peter Usman/:

Minister of Transportation, RT. Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has said that the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the country has led to the suspension of Lagos-Ibadan rail line inauguration which was scheduled for January this year.

The Minister expressed displessure over the situation, saying that most of the staff working on the project have contracted COVID-19, which he said led to the suspension of the planned inauguration.

Speaking in Abuja, Amaechi however asserted that non of those infected by coronavirus died, as he also prayed that nobody among them will die.

The Minister explained that the workers contracted the virus while trying to complete the project at the site.

He furhter explained that the timeline for the commissioning will depend on COVID-19, adding that “if COVID-19 stops today or reduces, we will commission the project”

“First let us admit that over 60 of our staff, not the ministry of transport staff, but the staff working on the rail project have been infected by COVID-19. Luckily nobody has died and I pray nobody will die, but you see the kind of sacrifice everybody is making to get the rail to function.

“They are people sacrificing their lives to get to that point, we were of the view that when we made that decision that Nigeria will not say 2020 was a bad year, so remove one year and add another year to the Buhari administration.” Amaechi said.