The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar, has lamented that the restoration of train services to Maiduguri is being hampered by the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the area.
Umar reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the restoration of full services along the Gombe-Maiduguri corridor as soon as the security situation in the area substantially improves.
Speaking on SUnday in Gombe during the commencement of the Gombe-Kafanchan-Port’Harcourt and Gombe-Kafanchan-Kaduna intercity train services, Umar called on citizens of the country to utilise the revived train services being provided by government for their economic benefits.
The minister, who stated this at the Gombe railway station, said the series of such inaugurations in the last few weeks followed the massive rehabilitation of the rail transport system embarked upon by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
“As a result of the restoration of the services in the last couple of weeks, a lot of interest and hopes are being rekindled and confidence in the President’s transformation agenda is being heightened,” he said.
The occasion was also used to inaugurate five-number 68 seater air-conditioned coaches.
Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo commended the Federal Government for restoring the railway system, saying it had the capacity of creating 7,000 jobs as well as boost economic activities in Gombe alone.
“The train services will also cut not less than 50 per cent cost of transportation of goods and services from the Gombe corridor to other parts of the country,” he stated.
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