The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday expressed frustration over the slow pace of work on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line accusing the contractor of the project, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) of “doing no job, absolutely no job”.
The minister accused the contractor for slowing down work and track-laying from kilometre 121 to 157 of the rail line project.
According to him, the Federal Government plans to commence transportation of cargoes from the seaports through the standard rail gauge by December.
“Since you came to this segment of the project, you have not done anything here.
“To those of you who are here with me on this inspection, did you see any work going on? There is no work at all.
“From kilometre 121 to 157, there is no work at all; and you have no reason whatsoever not to have worked, because we are not owing you.
“You are doing no job, absolutely no job,” Amaechi blurted out at the representatives of the contractor on site.
Amaechi also said that the Federal Executive Council would discuss the issue of the project during its next meeting.
He stated bluntly that he was dissatisfied with the contractor, saying the company had failed to implement the affected section of the project as earlier discussed with them at a previous meeting.
According to him, the Federal Government has paid its own counterpart fund for the project.
He said that CCECC had no excuse for its failure to meet the project timeline, since there was no funding problem on execution of the contract.