tolu ogunlesi Profile picture
Jul 27, 2018 22 tweets 19 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
Live from Itakpe in Kogi State. This is one of the construction workers on #ItakpeWarriRail Line. “I praise the [Buhari Administration]. Before now we didn’t know there was a rail line in Kogi State. It’s Buhari that’s made it possible for us to see this. Make God bless am.”
Usman is a mechanical technician. He used to be a driver, then switched to technical work (which he says he learned from childhood, tinkering with cars.) He worked on the Obajana cement plant in 2015/16, and has now worked on #ItakpeWarriRail for 8 months.
Paul is from Kogi State. He is a Payloader operator, has been on the #ItakpeWarriRail project for about nine months. He’s looking forward to completing this phase of the project and starting work on the #ItakpeAbujaRail phase. #TheYearofInfrastructure
When this #ItakpeWarriRail is completed, you will be able to travel from Kogi State to Delta State by Rail, passing through Ajaokuta, Uromi, Agbor, and Abraka. In the next phase, the line will extend from Itakpe to Abuja. #TheYearofInfrastructure #RailUPng
Today we’re going to take a ride on the Train, from Itakpe, all the way to Warri. I’ll bring updates. #ItakpeWarriRail #RailUPng
Mohammed is from Ajaokuta in Kogi State. He’s a foreman on the #ItakpeWarriRail project. He’s also an inventor. Showed me videos of stuff he’s built. A drone, and a miniature payloader.
We’re boarding the Train. The next stop will be Ajaokuta Station. Final destination: Warri.

Please mind the gap between the train and the platform. (Or, as we’d say in Lagos: “If you like don’t mind the gap between the train and the platform.”) #ItakpeWarriRail #EnterWithChange
If someone had told me I’d travel eight hours through the heart of Nigeria, without any Internet on any mobile networks, I’d say izzalie. Phew. But it’s been a fascinating ride.

We’ve traveled by Train through:
Itakpe
Adogo
Ajaokuta
Agenebode
Uromi
Igbanke
Agbor

Now in Delta
Construction Workers. iPhone portraits from #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour. #RailUPng (I’ve been sleeping on the iPhone Portrait Mode)
More (iPhone) photos from #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour.

It’s a ~320km Rail Line that will form the Central Line of Nigeria’s National Rail Network. Currently runs from Itakpe in Kogi State to Warri in Delta State. There are plans to link to Lokoja, and then Abuja.
Testimony Time.

This is a youth leader in one of the communities where a Passenger Station is being constructed on the #ItakpeWarriRail Line. #RailUPng

PS. He has his views on 2019...
When this #ItakpeWarriRail Line was started by President Babangida circa 1987, it was planned as a freight-only Rail, serving the Iron Ore / Steel belt between Aladja and Ajaokuta.

It is now being reconfigured as a PASSENGER + Freight Rail, to maximize usefulness. #RailUPng
Dear @MTNNG @AirtelNigeria @9mobileng @GloWorld @ntelng

Time to start planning base stations for the #ItakpeWarriRail Route. It’s currently a service ‘desert’. 12 Stations in all, in Kogi, Edo, Delta.

Let’s start #TelcoWars, be the first to launch. You won’t regret it!
Traveling these 300 or so kilometers by Train across the center of Nigeria feels like touring an estate through the backyards of its houses. Very different feel from the ‘main road’ view.

Soon, hopefully, it’ll be an experience everyone is familiar with!
#ItakpeWarriRail
Minister of Transport @ChibuikeAmaechi, on the #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour, today. (still ongoing, we’re still on the Train, now approaching Warri)
Warri, finally! The young people of Warri have never seen a Train pull up in their city before. #ItakpeWarriRail #TheYearofInfrastructure
My Warri brothers and sisters came on board to have a feel of (and photos on) the #ItakpeWarriRail Train 🚊
If you watch only one video from today: THIS. Oghenerume is from the Warri community where the final Train Station is. Tells me his late father was involved in the #ItakpeWarriRail project,and that his dream before he died was for it to be completed. “Thank you President Buhari!”
More of my Photos from today’s #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour.

(All 📷: iPhone Portrait Mode)
Dignity of labour. #ItakpeWarriRail
Many of these men told me they’ve been employed for about 8-9 months.
This is one of the 12 Stops on the #ItakpeWarriRail Line. Earthworks and Construction of Passenger Stations in progress.

The biggest Station on the route will be in Agbor. Agbor is also home to a large Railway Village where the ‘control center’ of the line is located.
Brief interview with the Minister of Transport, on board the #ItakpeWarriRail Train. It’s been more than 30 years in the making; FG is planning to extend it to Lokoja asap, etc. #RailUPng #TheYearofInfrastructure

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More from @toluogunlesi

Oct 8, 2018
Don’t fall for the ‘Incompetence’ message they’re trying to push to distract from ‘Corruption’. Nigeria’s largest-ever Social Welfare Prog @NSIP_NG, 6 million new TaxPayers, new $650m Infra Fund, attracting billions of $$$ in Agric Investments — AIN’T a definition of Incompetence
Let’s break it down a little bit. The @NSIP_NG: Nigeria has never had a more ambitious Social Welfare Programme, targeting the most vulnerable. 500,000 @npower_ng, more than 8 million kids for @NHGSFP, more than 300,000 households for @HUPcct, and 2m for @Trader_Moni by year-end.
Infrastructure: 2 major rail lines COMPLETED between 2015 & 2018, & during a recession. Abuja—Kaduna & Abuja Metro. No rail project completed between 1999 and 2015.

Another 2 standard-gauge Rail projects in progress. Ajaokuta-Warri and Lagos-Ibadan. I’ve visited both. See my TL.
Read 23 tweets
Oct 4, 2018
THREAD: @HQNigerianArmy Press Release on #JosPond #JosPondofDeath and Missing General:

“[On] social media, it was reported that eleven (11) cars and two (2) corpses had been recovered. This is false and misleading.”
”On 29 September 2018, a black Toyota Corolla car with the registration number KWARA MUN 670 AA, a customized white T-Shirt with Nigerian Army logo and the general’s name inscribed on it as well as a pair of canvas shoes belonging to the retired missing senior officer.”
“On 2 Oct 2018, a white Toyota Hiace bus with reg number PLATEAU RYM 307 XA which was reported missing with the driver on 24 June 2018 & a red Rover car with reg number BAUCHI AG 645 TRR which was allegedly reported to have been buried along with the occupants on 31 Jan 2013.”
Read 4 tweets
Aug 27, 2018
We’re starting at the Railway Compound in Ebute Metta, where the #LagosIbadanRail Main Station (the biggest of the 10 Stations) is going to be. #RailUPng
Construction has commenced on the Ebute Metta Station. The Line will start at the Apapa Harbour. Ebute Metta will be the second Station. #LagosIbadanRail
Inspection of #LagosIbadanRail by Minister of Transport, @ChibuikeAmaechi.
Read 30 tweets
Aug 1, 2018
Politicking aside, serious work is still going on. Today is for #LagosIbadanRail. Tour should commence shortly.

It‘s a brand new 160km standard gauge rail line that will run from Iddo in Lagos, through Ogun State, to Ibadan in Oyo State. Construction in progress.
Last week was for #ItakpeWarriRail, this week is for #LagosIbadanRail. From the same people who brought you the blockbuster #AbujaMetro.

#RailUPng
I’ll be defecting to Abeokuta and back, bringing updates along the way about the progress of the #LagosIbadanRail. Stay tuned.
Read 24 tweets
Apr 4, 2018
Mr Kọ́lá,the PDP Admin left behind HUNDREDS of abandoned projects, that the Buhari Administration has been painstakingly completing, one by one. Only an IRRESPONSIBLE Govt would set aside important ABANDONED projects to instead be chasing the cheap glory of ‘We started our own!’
BRF said @FMPWH inherited >200 Abandoned/uncompleted road projects: google.com/amp/s/www.naij…

Min of @FMWRNigeria said they inherited 117 unfinished projects businessdayonline.com/fg-insists-com…

TCN inherited 450 containers of power equipment abandoned at the Ports: google.com/amp/punchng.co…
Mr @officialKolaO, this is the outcome of the Audit carried out by @MNDA_Ng, on Niger Delta projects started between 2009 and 2015: 60% payment but only 12% completion.

Yet you expected @MBuhari Admin to put all that aside and irresponsibly start new projects? Wehdon Sir.
Read 17 tweets

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