By Abdullateef Aliyu
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has stated that he was angry with former governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, over the way he handled the metro line project, especially the blue line.
He spoke during the Intermodal Transportation Summit in Lagos organised by the Transportation Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (TCAN) with the theme, “Intermodal Transport: Prospects and Challenges.”
He recalled that the federal government had allowed the Lagos State government to make use of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) track for the red line but the former governor didn’t take the project seriously.
Amaechi also recalled that there was a monorail project in Rivers State before the Lagos State Government started its project.
Lagos State Government is the first sub-national to commission metro lines with the inauguration of red line and blue line.
Amaechi, however, commended the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for taking up the projects and seeing them to completion.
He said, “There was monorail in Rivers State. But in all honesty Lagos State has done well in rail transportation. The place I nearly got angry was when Ambode almost gave up the blue line.
“I tried to get Ambode. I tried through the Vice-President, I reported him to the President until the new governor came. I said, “listen, we were about to close the line. There is a line the Ministry of Transport would give you based on our agreement.”
“Ambode had told me as if they were not interested. He said they were to construct it (a new track). I said, “no don’t construct, use the federal government’s corridor. There is not enough train movement, buy your own coaches and run on our tracks.”
