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Transport Minister laments as insecurity stalls Kaduna to Kano rail line construction

The Minister of Transport, Sen. Saidu Alkali, has lamented that insecurity stalled the completion of the Kaduna to Kano rail line.

According to NAN, Alkali made this known while inspecting the level of work on the construction site in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday.

The Minister directed the contractor handling the construction to use anti-theft materials to check the activities of vandals.

He advised the contractors to use anti-theft clips instead of the metal clips they used to hold the rail track.

He said using anti-theft clips would make it difficult for vandals to remove.

The Minister explained that the visit was to monitor progress and offer advice where necessary.

“We came to see things for ourselves, as you know, seeing is believing. We were able to appraise the performance of the contractor.

“We have raised some little observations on the clips they are using, and we have asked them to use anti-theft clips so that vandals cannot easily remove them,” he said.

Noting the security challenge in the area, the Minister promised to collaborate with security agencies to ensure the delivery of the project in the shortest time possible.

Earlier, the Project Coordinator of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Mr. Mark Zoe, said the project had reached 22.6 per cent completion.

Zoe, however, identified insecurity as a severe challenge in the area and asked for collaboration with the military to ensure the safety of workers while on site.

He said two of the company’s staff had already been kidnapped along Tashar Yari in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

DAILY POST recalls that the $1.2 billion rail line was flagged off by former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2021 but commenced construction in April 2022.