The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed the federal government decision to include Akure, the Ondo state capital in the railway route.
Speaking on a Channels TV programme “Sunrise Daily” on Tuesday, Amechi noted that the state capital which was not part of the initial design of the railway route has now been included following the directive from the president.
According to him, the rail project of the federal government was designed to go from Lagos to Ore- Benin to Calabar.
“Akure and Ondo will now benefit from the project, which will be from Lagos to Ore to Ondo to Akure to Owo to Benin to Calabar.
Ondo West, Ondo East, Akure South and Akure north councils from Ondo state will benefit.” The transport minister stated.
The decision appeared to have appealed to the greviances of some opinion leaders, elderstatesmen and traditional rulers in the state who had earlier kicked against the bypass of the state capital by the Nigeria Railway Corporation in the construction of rail lines in the south-southwest.
The bypass according to them, was capable of inflicting dire economic consequence on the state.
