Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has called for the unbundling of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in line with the vision and objectives of Government’s current reforms in the transportation sector.
Sambo said as it is presently constituted, the NRC cannot operate optimally, hence necessary reforms and unbundling have become imperative.
The Minister, who was addressing the management team of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), led on a visit to his office by the CEO, Dr. Armstrong Katang, charged MOFI to drive the unbundling of the NRC to make it more economically viable while offering world class services to Nigerians.
“One of the things I will like to see as the Minister of Transportation, through MOFI is the unbundling of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). There is a Committee set up to unbundle NRC and I will urge you to work with the existing Committee”, he said.
The MOFI was incorporated under the provisions of Sections 2 and 3 of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) Act of 1959 as an asset holding company under the Federal Ministry of Finance.
MOFI is the sole manager of all Federal Government investment interests, estates, easement and rights.
The Minister made reference to the reforms implemented in the ports and the benefits these have brought, noting that such should be carried out in railway sector.
“The NRC, the way it is currently, is the way the ports were prior to concession, prior to the reforms of 2005. Today, even the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) workers are happier about how NPA is today compared to how it was prior to the reforms. This means the reformed NPA is generating more revenues to support its operations and also support its workforce and its pensioners”, he said.
The Minister, who assuaged the fear of job loss as a result of the unbundling, said, “I don’t want the NRC staff to see the unbundling of the NRC as a threat to their jobs. If we have a better performing NRC, then we are going to have better salaries for its workers, better working conditions for its workers, more revenue for the FG and therefore the ability to even build more rail networks”.
Sambo noted that the issue of encroachment on railway property will soon be a thing of the past as “MOFI was berthed for a specific reason and that reason is for the Federal Government to take control of its assets and create optimum value for these assets”.
In his contribution, the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, extolled the capabilities of the Managing Director, MOFI, Dr. Armstrong, saying he has full confidence that the MOFI team will deliver on the job.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, noted that the MOFI team being made up of young and intelligent people has satisfied the yearning of Nigerians to have young people in positions of responsibility.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

The Nigeria Ports Author ity (NPA) says its proposed rehabilitation of four Ports in the country will gulp $800 million, its Managing Director (MD), Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, has said.
The Ports, according to him, are Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port in Lagos, Onne Port in Rivers State, rehabilitation of the Escravos breakwaters in Warri Port, and the Calabar Port in Cross River State.
Bello-Koko disclosed this while speaking at the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) Europe and Africa 2023 Regional meeting which held recently  in Germany, with the Vice-President of both regions, Jens Meier (Europe) and Micheal Luguje (Africa), hosting IAPH members CEO’s to a top level discussions.
According to the NPA boss, the $800 million loan facility will be repayable in a seven- year period once secured.
According to him,” NPA would have opted to fund the project, but that will reduce its contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
“The rehabilitation would help in achieving the digitalization of all ports in Nigeria as port rehabilitation and remedial works are no more effective. These ports need total rehabilitation”, he stated.

By; Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has seized 3,896 litres of stolen Petroleum Motor Spirit along Badagry axis.
In a statement by the spokesman, Lagos Command, DSC Abolurin Oluwaseun Olumide,  “the seizure was made as a result of the routine patrol, intelligence gathering, surveillance, monitoring of critical national assets and infrastructure
According to him, the Command under the leadership of its State Commandant, Usman Ishaq Alfadarai, has once again made another successful recovery of petroleum products, stolen by some economic saboteurs in the Badagry Divisional axis of the State.
“On the account of the twenty four hours routine patrol, intelligence gathering, surveillance, monitoring of critical national assets and infrastructure, the Corps’ operatives discovered petroleum products suspected to be stolen by economic saboteurs and kept in a bush path at Epeme Village in Olorunda LCDA, of Badagry, on Saturday, 18th February, 2023, at about 01:35hrs during wee hours.
“While carrying out evacuation of the aforementioned products above, on the following day, Sunday, 19th February, 2023, the Corps ‘ operatives recovered about twenty three sacks of about hundred litres each and fifty seven yellow kegs of about twenty eight litres each of Premium Motor Spirit ( PMS ) also known as petrol at the scene.
“The total quantity of products recovered at the Epeme Village totalled about three thousand eight hundred and ninety six litres of PMS.
“The State Commandant has ordered that the exhibits recovered from the operation aforementioned be brought to the State Command Headquarters, in Alausa, Ikeja, for further interogation and investigation on the matter, in a bid to ascertain and bring the culprits to book”, Olumide stated.
The Commandant further reiterate the Command’s resolve and commitment to stamp out oil theft, illegal dealings in petroleum products and vandalism of other critical national assets belonging to the Government (s) in the State.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos