The Federal Government has earmarked N71, 671,088,783 for the installation of acoustic sensing security surveillance system for Abuja-Kaduna rail project.
The government also planned to expend the sum on the completion of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail track and structures, rehabilitation of Itakpe-Ajaokuta rail line and permanent way (track works) in Agbor facility yard and design, manufacturing, supply and installation of rolling stock, supply of spare parts and maintenance equipment for the ongoing rail modernisation projects.
These are contained in the 2022 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly recently by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the budget proposal, the government also proposed to commence installation of signal and telecoms system on Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line, land acquisition for the expansion of the railways headquarters and completion of feasibility studies for railway projects.
Besides, the government planned to pay back the sum of N69.3 billion multilateral/ bilateral project-tied loans, which were spent on the modernisation project of the Lagos-Ibadan section of the railways.
Also, the Ministry of Transportation said that it planned to purchase law books, management of litigation and other legal-related specialised projects at the tune of N230 million in the next financial year, while another N75 million was proposed for the purchase of office furniture and equipment in the coming year by the ministry.
Besides, the Appropriation Bill revealed that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in its 2022 budget planned to procure diesel for the power cars and locomotives at the rate of N510 million. The corporation, however, said this project was “ongoing.”
According to the 2022 proposal, the NRC said it would spend the sum of N500 million on the maintenance of track, including emergency recovery, bridge and culverts repair within the rail corridors. The management said this was “ongoing.”
Also, the railway management emphasised that it intended to expend additional N400 million on maintenance of roads into stations, rest houses, workshop, chalets and operational residential quarters.
The corporation also said that it would spend another N500 million on the procurement of spare parts for its locomotives, coaches and wagons in the coming year.
The government said that the procurement of this would curb incessant breakdown of trains on the tracks.
Recall that several passengers of trains have continued to complain about the consistent breakdown of trains at major stops and their failures to depart as scheduled, while Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, had attributed this act to lack of adequate spare parts.
In one of such occasions in July, Amaechi blamed incessant breakdowns of locomotives on the Abuja-Kaduna on lack of spare parts to replace worn out parts.
source: independent
