By Egondu Esinwoke-Ogbalor
After my week-long vacation during the New Year, it was time for me to return to work. We spent the holiday in two different locations as my children didn’t want to spend the entire holiday in the village.
So, we decided to finish our vacation in Abuja. We took the train for our return journey from Abuja to Warri because we thought it would be more exciting instead of going by air through Asaba. This would have been shorter.
During the 3-hour road trip from Abuja to Itakpe, my children asked me why the train station was at Itakpe instead of Abuja.
I had to go down memory lane to update them on the history of the rail project in this area, the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Railway project.
Initially, the railway was designed for cargo transportation of iron ore to Ajaokuta (Kogi) and Aladja steel Rolling mills in Delta State and then for the processed steel to be transported to the port in Warri, Delta State. It was supposed to be completed within five years, but the project was abandoned for over 30 years due to a lack of funds.
But was the reason for the abandonment really a lack of funds?
If you asked me, na who I go ask?
In 1987, during Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, the railway was awarded as the Central Railway Line, but construction was abandoned after 254 kilometres were built, leaving 22 kilometers uncompleted.
In 2009, the Goodluck Jonathan government approved N33 billion to redesign the railway for passenger transportation and complete the remaining 22 kilometers. The new design also included the construction of sidings of the Ajaokuta-Warri rail line up to Delta Steel Aladja and the creation of six stations. The rehabilitation of the completed and vandalized portion of the line was also part of the project.
Unfortunately, the project was abandoned again from 2015 to 2017, with only about 70% of the work completed.
In 2017, the Buhari administration announced the revival of the Itakpe-Warri rail line at an estimated cost of $200 million (N72 billion). The project was awarded to three construction firms: Julius Berger, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), and ZTE.
The rail facilities increased from six initial stations to 12 new stations. Once completed, the railway can accommodate four trains of 32 wagons in its first phase, eventually increasing to eight trains of 64 wagons.
In October 2019, the same government signed a contract worth N1.4 trillion ($3.9 billion) with China Railway Construction Corporation Limited to extend the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Railway line to the national capital of Abuja.
However, as of January 2024, the extension is yet to be completed. Four years have passed since the payment of N1.4 trillion, and it is surprising that this topic has not been a part of a national discussion.
Here’s a summary of the costs incurred so far: – The initial design cost is unknown during Shagari’s administration – The railway was awarded during Babangida’s regime, but the amount is unknown – Jonathan’s administration approved N33 billion for the redesign – Buhari’s administration spent N72 billion and an additional N1.4 trillion for the extension.
There has been no funding allocated for the project under the Tinubu administration.
Meanwhile, we arrived at Itakpe at approximately 12:15 p.m., leaving us with 1 hour and 15 minutes to organize ourselves and settle in.
After confirming our e-tickets, we proceeded to the waiting lounge, which was already filled to capacity. We couldn’t find a place to stand as passengers’ luggage could be seen everywhere.
We had to look for somewhere to sit and wait for boarding. Eventually, with the help of a staff member, we secured plastic seats outside to wait.
While waiting, we needed to use the restroom and approached the same staff member who had helped us earlier. We went from one cleaner to another, asking to use the restroom, but all of them told us that none of the restrooms were functional.
The only option left was open defecation. All the passengers were practicing open defecation, and we had to choose between following them or holding on and waiting until we boarded, hoping that the restrooms on the train would be functioning.
From the above, it is clear that a project that gulped such whooping sums remains without adequate Water and Sanitation (WASH) facilities. It’s either that or those manning such facilities are not up to their responsibilities. Whichever the case maybe it’s not good enough.
Nigeria has spent so much on getting communities ODF (Open Defecation Free), yet the government is not making enough efforts to facilitate ODF by providing access to facilities that will facilitate open defecation free.
The authorities in charge should urgently ensure that toilets are available in public facilities and that the public is given access to such facilities because open defecation is a risk to public health.
#odf #WASH #Railwaystation #SDG6
Nigeria Railway Corporation, UNICEF, Community Initiative for Enhanced Peace and Development, United Nations, World Health Organization, Comfort ONYAGA (She/Her), USAID.
Egondu Esinwoke-Ogbalor, Executive Director at CIEPD
