Approximately 1,000 additional workers will be employed by the Lagos-Ibadan rail line at the cost of N567.45m each year.
Mr Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, disclosed this in Lagos when the National Assembly Joint Committee on Transportation members visited the NRC headquarters in Ebute Meta.
According to him, the current staff strength of the corporation is 10,672, with a current personnel cost of N9.14bn for 2021.
In addition, he estimated that the new Lagos-Ibadan rail line would require an additional 1,000 workers, bringing the annual wage bill to N567, 451, 300.
Okhiria added, “On the corporation’s revenue generation since 2020, NRC has remitted N1.13bn to the Federal Government approved dedication TSA Account domiciled with the CBN.”
During the visit, it was discovered that the signal and communication systems were not working.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation’s Project Liaison Officer, Mr Yakubu Adogie, said the company will overcome the challenge before the first quarter of 2022.
As part of the statement, CCECC’s liaison officer also explained that the company is building plumbing, power supplies, and telecommunications systems at other stations on the Lagos-Ibadan railway.
Despite the intervention of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in July and payment of compensation, the Nigeria Customs Service log room building had not been demolished to make way for the construction of the other two lines connecting Apapa port.
The Project Manager of TEAM Construction Company Nig. Ltd, Leonardo Portanova, also discussed the overhead bridges and crossings on the Lagos end of the rail line.
He said that the Lagos State Government is building seven overhead bridges while TEAM will build six overhead crossings.
Chairman of the Joint Senate/House Committee on Transportation, Abdulfatai Buhari, said the House was ready to support the NRC with the necessary legislative framework to ensure effective rail transport and boost interregional business in Nigeria.
He said, “You are all aware that the joint committee is carrying out its statutory, constitutional responsibilities to ascertain the level of work done.
“We are here to oversee how funds appropriated in the past fiscal years were expended and how much is needed for the smooth running of the corporation against the next budgetary allocation.”
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Transportation, Abbas Tajudeen, asked contractors working on the projects to open a good communication channel with the committee.
