The Federal Government approved plans to begin surveillance protection of rail infrastructure, announcing N718 million has been approved for security services and surveillance of the Abuja light rail transportation system.
This was disclosed by the FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello, during a briefing of State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja., according to NAN.
FG also approved N1.4 billion for the purchase of spare parts and repairs of a crane of the Nigeria Railway Corporation.
What the minister is saying
Bello said: “I presented a memo at the Federal Executive Council meeting of today and it approved a contract for the provision of security services for the Abuja Light Rail Mass Transit System.
- “These companies are Messers Al-Ahali Security Guards Limited and Messers Seaguard Security and Protective Company Limited.
- “They are going to provide security to the entire 45 kilometres of track including 12 stations.
- “And these security services are meant to protect the key infrastructure on the rail tracks, the signaling and communication equipment as well as the electrical system.
- “Al-Ahali security guard Limited is going to secure 27.4 kilometres of the track, covering eight stations at the cost of N407, 214,000 over a two-year period.
- “Seaguard Securities and Protective Company Limited is going to secure 18 kilometres of the rail tracks including four railway stations and that is at a cost of N310,979,250.”
The Minister of Transportation, Umar Sambo, said the council approved N1.4 billion for the purchase of spare parts and repairs of a crane of the Nigeria Railway Corporation.
- “Today, I had the privilege of presenting before the council, a memorandum from the Ministry of Transportation on behalf of one of its agencies, the Nigeria Railway Corporation, for the purchase of spare parts and to undertake the repairs and overhaul of one of its critical cranes.
- “Approval was given in the total sum of N1,491, 065,722.72 inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT, with a completion period of 12 months,” he said.
The minister also stated that the government was looking at the best options in terms of the surveillance for the Abuja-Kaduna railway service following the March 2022 attack, including to concession it in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
In case you missed it
- Nairametrics reported yesterday that the Federal Government hinted that it might not be recommencing train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route anytime soon as it will be insensitive to the plight of families that their loved ones are still in captivity to do so.
- This was disclosed by the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, coming a few weeks after the government disclosed that it can only fully resume operations on the Abuja-Kaduna train route when it has installed the appropriate surveillance technology for security purposes.
