Railway: Customs Building Frustrating Cargo Evacuation From Apapa Seaport To Be Demolished.

The Minister of Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki says that the Nigerian Customs Service old scanner centre obstructing the laying of tracks into the Apapa port would be demolished to give way to the rail project there.

The Minister stated this during an inspection of the rail project leading into the Ports area in Lagos.

The Minister of Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, accompanied by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, and other stakeholders undertook a train ride from the Mobolaji Johnson Train Station in Ebutte-Metta area of Lagos inwards the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Train Station in the Apapa Port Complex while inspecting the level of ongoing Ebutte-Metta to Apapa Port Standard guage rail line.

The Minister stated that a Technical Meeting with the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Port Authority and the Ministry of transportation would be held on ways to resolve the challenges affecting the completion of the third track that leads to the Apapa Port.

According to Gbemisola Saraki, it has been agreed that the building belonging to the Nigerian Customs Service would be demolished while engaging experts to dismantle and disconnect the scanners and other radio-active materials inside the building safely.

“It has been agreed that the building is going to be demolished, it is just minor issue, the case of the fact that it is some radio-active, because it is a scanner, we just have to ensure that it is done safely and is done by the right people to come and dismantle and dicommission the scanners to ensure they are safe then the building itself comes down. By the time we sit down with Customs, we get it resolved”.

Gbemisola Saraki also noted that the issues which has been ongoing for the past two years would be resolved and laying of tracks carried out before the end of next month.

“This scanner building that belongs to Customs has been ongoing on for about two years, am here to inspect to see what the problem is so that we can ensure that before the end of next month, that activities can move on” she said.

The Ebutte-Metta to Apapa Port rail project is the second phase of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Guage Rail Line Project with extension to the Lagos Ports.

The week-long visit of the Minister which ends on Friday this week would also include inspections and stakeholders meeting in the Maritime Sector.