Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said about 1,400 houses are to be demolished in Ogun State to create right of way for the rail project passing through the state.

The demolition will mostly affect residents of Harmony Estate, near Oke Mosan, Abeokuta in the state capital.

The minister said during an on the spot assessment of the rail project in Abeokuta that his ministry was also in talks with residents of some villages in Ewekoro, near Abeokuta, on the right of way for the project.

Amaechi hinted that he would meet with state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun on the demolition of the structures in the state for the proposed rail project.

He said efforts were being made to complete all the civil works on the project before the rainy season “because if we don’t, then the civil works will have to wait until after the rainy season.”

He said there was huge compensation to pay against complaint by contractors that obstructions were delaying progress.

“Considering what we are meeting with on the project’s right of way, the cost overrun is huge. On the job done so far, I am satisfied, even though the contractor is now behind schedule. Before, they were meeting up with the time schedule, but now they are not; and the excuse they are giving me is that if we remove all the issues on the right of way, they wouldn’t be behind schedule,” he said. (Daily Trust)

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