60 workers of Lagos-Ibadan railway project contract COVID-19 – Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi

Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi said 60 workers on the Lagos-Ibadan railway project have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The minister, who said the rail project would have opened in the first week of this month if not for the resumption of the second wave of COVID-19, added that it is important to postpone the facility’s projected inauguration date to January 2021. otherwise life is lost.

Amaechi Said;

“First of all, let’s say that more than 60 of our employees were infected with COVID-19, and not from the Ministry of Transport, but from the personnel working on the railway project.

“Fortunately, no one died, and I pray that no one will die, but you can see the sacrifices everyone makes to keep the track working.

“There are people who sacrifice their lives to achieve this. When we made this decision, we were of the opinion that Nigerians would not say that 2020 was a bad year.

“For us, we need to learn to live with COVID-19, and I really want to congratulate those who have achieved this feat.”

He also said that the launch of the project will depend on when the number of new cases decreases in the country.

Amayachi added;

“We had to open (the railway project) in the first week of January. We had to stop those doing minor finishing work due to the increased transmission of COVID-19.

“The time of the inauguration will depend on the COVID. If COVID stops today or shrinks, we will reopen the project. ”