Rail Contractor Excited Over Project Delivery

The contractor that
executed the Port Harcourt-Enugu railway lines, Eser West Africa Limited has expressed delight over the completion and formal hand-over of the project to the Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC).
The firm in a statement by the president, Eser Holdings, Mr. Iihan Adiloglu and Mr. Tugrul Karaduman of Eser West Africa Ltd and made available to The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt states that “Eser is very happy to be the first of the contractors of Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC), handing over the rail line”.
The statement disclosed that Eser is also rehabilitating the Enugu-Makurdi section of the railway line, which will be ready for handing over by early 2015.
It stated that among the contractors appointed by NRC to rehabilitate the Eastern Rail lines, the Turkish company, Eser is the first to complete and hand over a railway despite all odds.
According to the statement, the rehabilitation work was performed under very challenging conditions, as just after the beginning of the contract when high technology equipment have mobilised by the company to NRC-owned quarry, another company now claimed rights over the quarry licence, and blocked access to the site.
It further stated that despite the blockage, Eser kept on working and continued operation by purchasing stones externally at a very high cost in order not to delay the project.
The statement also said passing through the Niger Delta region was another challenge to the company during the construction as they had challenges with the local communities, stressing that with community communications strategy, Eser was able to convince all the opposing groups about the importance of the project for the local societies, and they finally received their support for the project to proceed.
“Eventually, with hard efforts of the Eser Team, the rail line is completed under quite difficult conditions and earlier than other contractors working outside the Delta region”, the statement said.

Collins Barasimeye