“Already,” the chairman explained, “skeletal services are operating in six major cities including Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Jos and Maiduguri.” According to the Daily Trust, N25 billion has been spent on rehabilitating the Lagos to Kano line, while N650 million is earmarked for that between Port Harcourt and Maiduguri.

He added that by 2015, rail transport should be contributing significantly to the nation’s GDP. Contracts are to be awarded this year for the Port Harcourt to Enugu Line.

Three new halts have been provided and three existing stations have been renovated. The corporation has completed rehabilitation of rolling stock and all infrastructure including level crossings.

The commuter train is to make six daily trips between the main station in Enugu and Agbani in the Nkanu West local government area. It is to stop at the Zik Avenue, Timber Shed,
and Orie Emene halts and at Emene station.

Criticism in government circles, during the years since a $US840m contract was awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in 2008, suggested that – at the rate at which money was being allocated to the project – the work would take 100 years.

When faced by problems like these, it has become customary to look to China for assistance and in 2010 the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) successfully obtained agreement to a loan worth US$500m.

In April 2010 however, a majority of senators raised strong objections to the interest applicable to the loan. For a project on this scale, they argued, 10% is outrageous and very likely the highest in the world: ‘It is unacceptable and unprecedented.’ According to This Day (published in Lagos), the FCTA proceeded with the agreement despite a Senate plenary resolution to the contrary.

Checks by the paper revealed that already ‘a 15% mobilisation fee has been paid to CCECC while additional budgetary provision was also provided in the 2010 Appropriation Act for the project in order to meet the 2012 completion date.’

‘While tractors and other tools belonging to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as well as their personnel, including Chinese nationals were seen working on the rail tracks, their efforts were like a drop in the ocean, considering the enormity of work the rail lines required.”

Egbo enthused over the state’s current administration, the Daily Independent (published in Lagos) reports: “Within the brief period it has been in office, the Sullivan Chime administration has adverted its policy thrust towards the reality of climate change and global warming, noting that the idea of widening roundabouts was to create more environmental awareness, beautification and cleanliness.

“While recalling how colonialists were major stakeholders in planning Enugu city, Egbo disclosed that more modern monuments are in the offing to make Enugu what it ought to be.

“He said: ‘Regrettably on the exit of the white men, ornaments, green verges and open spaces disappeared gradually as a phased programme of neglect and dilapidation set in. It therefore took 100 years for a Sullivan to mount the saddle and like the prophets of Biblical times, inquired after the ancient landmarks. Consequently the Eastern Nigeria Town clock was rehabilitated alongside the historical tusk monument, to raise the ambience of the city.’

“The commissioner explained that greater aeration of the environment helps to reduce the toxic effect of carbon emissions in the city, pointing out that pedestrian walkways interspersed with trash bins were provided along roads to ensure a cleaner environment.”

The electrically driven monorail would complement this effort. “The state government,” Egbo explained, “will introduce the monorail as a major means of intra-city transportation. Public transportation has been enhanced with brand-new taxi cabs while bus shelters add to the beauty of present Enugu. The message of urban renewal in Enugu State is made clear and that is that we need spaces to enhance cleanliness of air and environmental sanitation. The challenge of declining atmospheric conditions posed by the evolving climate change should be confronted on all fronts and all hands should be on the deck to provide the desired results.”

The delivery of the unit from Lagos – one of five received by the NRC recently – was in preparation for launching a Challowa-Kano passenger service. Refurbished coaches are being supplied from Zaria.

The loco, writes Phillip Oladunjoye in the Daily Independent, quoting Sijuwade, is a 2,500hp General Electric 7FDL12-cylinder C25-EMPD model weighing 105.9 metric tons, with a maximum speed capability of 103km/h. “The robustly built locomotive has design adaptability to the corporation’s existing 1,067mm cape gauge. All C25-EMPD locomotive engines were specifically manufactured to be resilient and dependable in tropical domain such as ours. They comply with Nigeria’s weight per axle and clearance characteristics.”

In readiness for the Kano launch, Sijuwade said the corporation has completed construction of two new halt stations with platforms in Gandu-Albasa and Zawa-ciki. Signal and telecommunication facilities have been provided between Challowa and Kano, and six level crossings have been equipped with barriers.

NRC, Oladunjoye noted, is wholly owned by the federal government of Nigeria. It was constituted on 3 October 1921 with the amalgamation of the Lagos Government Railway (LGR) and the Baro-Kano Railway (BKR). Originally operated as the Nigerian Government Railway Department, it became an autonomous public corporation created by an Act of Parliament, the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act of 1955.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Sijuwade said, is favourably disposed to finding lasting solutions to the plight of railway pensioners and hoped that arrears would be paid off by the end of 2010. The matter has been dragging on for many years, causing great hardship to retirees. Hundreds, according to representatives struggling on their behalf, died in the interim without seeing monies due to them.

“In less than 80 years, the golden era of railways has come and gone, reduced to this sorry state. One of the staff mentions that the office telephone has since collapsed. So, he has to use his cell phone to communicate with other stations, to know if a train is approaching. This made one wonder what happens if there is no network, or he runs out of credit. Or if there is an emergency. Or if a train derails. Or when his battery is down, what next? Things hardly get more ridiculous, or more farcical than this.

“The salary paid railway workers is small, they all chorus, arguing for a salary increment. Another staff says that they have not received their overtime allowance for a very long time, and they hint that there are quite a number of allowances which they have also not received yet. Most of them have to do overtime duty from time to time. They argue that other categories of workers across the country do receive their allowances.

“The absence of locomotive engines, and an insufficient supply of diesel, explains why only two trains run in a week, another says.”