Enugu State government has resolved to partner with the federal government through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other stakeholders to construct a modern terminal and rail transportation to remodel the transport system in the state.
Governor Peter Mbah disclosed the plan yesterday at the Government House, Enugu, when he received the NRC managing director, Engr. Freeborn Okhiria, and members of his team.
The governor said the remodelling of the transportation sector would include a multimodal transport system such as the road, rail and air transportations to enhance the standard of living of the people, grow the economy and encourage ease of doing business.
Mbah, who said the state’s existing transportation system had started making lives uncomfortable for residents as most of the infrastructures had deteriorated leading to gridlocks, said he would engage with stakeholders to make the projects achievable.
He said, “We need collaboration with the federal government to achieve our goals. We are doing this for the collective interest of our people. It is not right that we came, saw things the way they were, and refused to do nothing because we could also simply take such a defeatist approach to development. But we recognised as a government that there must be room for continuous and never-ending improvement. And this is the primary reason we took the oath of office.
“The welfare of our people is paramount, and if you look at what we are trying to bring, it is something we believe is going to be win-win for all the stakeholders, the railway, the current operators and the government. I don’t really think anybody finds it pleasant staying in gridlocks there, and the sort of environment they are exposed to. The emissions, the fumes pose danger to human health,” the governor added.
Earlier, Okhiria commended the governor for the right approach initiated by him in engaging stakeholders to reach a common ground for the project.
He said the corporation would also benefit from the project on its completion, even as he urged the governor to continue to engage all parties that could be affected by the project.
“If that place is open and close to the station, by extension, when you come by bus, you can join the train to your destination. It will make it seamless based on our intermodal or what we have been preaching in the transportation sector,” he said.
