The federal government on Friday inaugurated a ‘Steering Committee’ that will handle the concession of the eastern and western lines of the Nigeria’s Railways.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the inauguration charged the committee to set to work immediately.
He said that the committee is expected to create a one-stop shop for the concession, fast track the process and beat the red-tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Osinbajo urged members of the committee to give their best within the given period, adding that he believes that leader of the Committee Rotimi Amaechi, the Transportation Minister, would be innovative.
“I think this Steering Committee is extremely important, because we have tried to bring together everybody that should be involved in this (concession) project in order to see to it that we deliver quickly and efficiently in a manner that justifies Federal Government’s expense in the project.
“The whole idea of the Steering Committee raises the issue we are trying to address, to have a one-stop shop for all approvals, objections or problems so that we can realise our target,” he explained.
The 20-Member Committee is made up of officials and individuals from relevant public and private sector agencies and firms.
They are expected to among other things, advise the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, on policy issues that impact on stakeholders’ interest; advise the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, on efforts at improving stakeholders’ relations; and also advise BPE and Federal Ministry of Transportation on planning, coordination and implementation of Nigerian Railway Corporation.
Other functions of the committee are to review existing legislations, reports, studies and any other relevant information on the railway sector and provide guidance on policy issues.
The Steering Committee will also brief the NCP and Federal Executive Council,FEC, from time to time on the activities of the Steering Committee; and to carry out any other function that will facilitate the delivery.
According to the committee chairman, Amaechi, the committee is expected to submit its report in six months.
