The newly appointed Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Àhmed Alkali, has assumed office, with a pledge to reactivate road and rail transport operations in the country.
The Minister gave the assurance in Abuja during his first day in office, saying he will collaborate with relevant Ministries, Agencies, and corporate entities to make this possible.
Similarly, Sen. Alkali said that his administration will carefully study the prevailing economic trends, as well as undertake the provision, modernization, rehabilitation, planning and development of the rail transport sector with efficient security services to support the realization of the primary purpose of government.
This initiative according to him, will no doubt maximize the potentials embodied in the recent constitutional alterations that moved rail transportation services to the Concurrent List, adding that this will reduce the frequent menace on Nigerian roads which are characterized by accidents, kidnappings, and armed robbery.
”As a compliment towards ensuring the realization of this aspiration, I will support the provision of necessary conducive environment while at the same time, maintaining zero tolerance to indiscipline, laxity, inefficiency, and any form of misconduct in the discharge of any official responsibilities.
While pledging that the Ministry will under his supervision, strive to ensure the realization of its mandate and the mandates of agencies under its purview, he joined the staff to accord him the necessary support to succeed.
According to him, working as a team would not only help to harness the resources of the nation but promote national prosperity and a dynamic self-reliant economy that would actualize the renewed hope of the present administration’s developmental agenda of ensuring an efficient transport system that is in consistent with the socio-economic objectives of the constitution.
The Minister further said that he will soon embark on facility tour of Agencies supervised by the Ministry with a view to making them more efficient and effective to meet global standards.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation/ Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani in a welcome address, promised a smooth working relationship with the Minister for the development of the sector, while expressing optimism that he would be of immense help to the Ministry coming from the National Assembly.
Speaking on the agencies under the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary said:
“The University of Transportation in Daura is our newest baby. It was a Corporate Social Responsibility from one of our main railway contractor, CCECC. So, the University was built in Daura purely for transportation; training of Nigerians on transportation. The immediate past President appointed the Vice Chancellor just before he left and he’s trying to midwife the University”.
