The Federal Government today signed a contract agreement with the China
Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) on the construction
of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Railway project. The Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who signed on behalf of the Federal
Government, said the contract is an addendum to the Lagos-Calabar
Coastal Railway project which was initially awarded by the former
President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration to CCECC at a contract sum
of $11.917 billion disclosing that at the inception of President Buhari
Administration,
the Federal Government renegotiated the contract with
the Management of CCECC and agreed at a contract sum of $11.117 billion
thereby saving a whooping sum of $800million.
Amaechi reiterated that the Federal Government has completed the signing
of the same contract with a different contract sum in order to legalize
the new deal. “What we have done today is signing same contract but
different contract sum to make it legal”, he said.
He said part of the contract agreement with CCECC is to expedite action
and conclude arrangement with the China-Exim Bank to facilitate the
commencement of work on the Railway project noting that his desire and
expectation is the completion of the project in two years.
On the funding of the project, the Minister assured that funding would
not pose any hindrance to the smooth commencement and final completion
of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Railway project.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has assured me that he is committed to the
development of the Railway Sector in Nigeria and would not leave any
‘stone unturned’ to achieving that dream”, he said.
Explaining further, Amaechi said his Ministry’s determination is to
conclude the 1st and 2nd segments of the projects which run through
Calabar-Uyo-Aba-Port
Harcourt-Yenogua-Otuoke-Ughelli-Warri-Sapele-Benin-Ore-Ijebu-Ode-Lagos
with a target of covering all the Seaports along those Routes in good
time.
