Buhari approves naming of railway complex after Goodluck Jonathan
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the naming of the Railway Complex in Agbor – the operational hub of the Itakpe-Warri line – after former President Goodluck Jonathan.
This was disclosed by the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi while inspecting the Warri-Itakpe rail line on Saturday.
The facility will now be known as the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station and Complex, he said.
The Minister who expressed satisfaction at the quality of work at the various stations also said the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge rail line is set and ready for inauguration.
“Today, we continued test-run of our new coaches on the completed Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail line”.
“We’ve named the largest station on this route – the Agbor railway facility and station after former President Goodluck Jonathan”.
“It is the duty of the Ministry to convince the Presidency that we are ready for Commissioning, I won’t Commission. It is the president that will Commission but we are thinking about virtual commissioning,” he said.
“When you see a good job, don’t ask questions. The camera will show that this is a good job, this is the Goodluck Jonathan station, which is the Agbor Station which incorporates the railway facilities.
“It was named after Goodluck Jonathan and the President approved it. Agbor station and the yard was named after president Jonathan.
“Both Julius Berger, CCECC and Team have all done a good job. We will know if NRC has done a good job when they manage it properly because the issue is Maintenance. I don’t want to come here in the next four, five years and it looks worn out.
“If you break anything, replace it or repair it. I think we should learn to maintain the infrastructure that we inherit.”
The railway complex in Agbor is the centre of operation which connects the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail line.
The Itakpe-Warri rail line has a length of 276 km and links Warri in Delta State to Ajaokuta in Kogi State.
The rail service has 12 stations with two located between Itakpe, Ajaokuta, and Warri.
Other stations include: Eganiy; Adobe; Itogbo; Agenebode; Uromi; Egehen; Igbanke; Agbor; Abraka; Okpara and Ujewu stations.
The line, which was started in 1987, was built to move iron ore from mines around Itakpe to the steelworks at Ajaokuta but was abandoned for many years.