AMOSUN TO DEMOLISH ABIOLA INTERNATIONAL TRADEFAIR COMPLEX FOR RAIL PROJECT
The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi in his remark explained that the Federal Government has reviewed the rail project by relocating the railway station within the MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex in Abeokuta, with a view to building hotels and malls in addition to the rail station.
Amaechi, added that, Federal Government considered the review of the rail project and relocation of the rail station to the Trade Fair Complex in Abeokuta in order to save demolition of thousands of houses that are within the right of way of the rail lines and rail station to be located in Abeokuta.
His words “We are working well with Ogun State Government as well as Lagos State Government but just that there are more problems in Lagos State as a result of cosmopolitan status of Lagos State, that is the same problem we have met in Abeokuta as a result of cosmopolitan status’.
“But, the problem in Abeokuta is not gas and petroleum pipes. In fact, the land we have acquired for the project appears to have been overtaken by the people who are building houses and then, we have made a decision to move to other location, we believe that we should relocate to a better place for business, people and passengers that is where we are going to now (MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex)’.
“What you can see is that we have relocated the station now to a conducive place where the demolition of number of houses will be reduced by more than a thousand. Even, when the governor saw the number of houses to be demolished, he fought and we have agreed to relocate it to MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex. Now, this is where the station will be. We are building a rail station, a hotel and malls.”
Penpushing reports that,the Lagos-Ibadan-Kano rail project which starts in Apapa, Lagos State and stretches to Ebute-Meta -Papalanto-Abeokuta-Ibadan is expected to terminates in Kano State and designed to have a station at Papalanto but due to the ongoing Abeokuta Central Business District Project, Ogun State Government requested the Federal Government to relocate the rail station to Abeokuta, State capital for easy access and movement of passengers.
