FRANK ENEAWAJI OGWUONUONU
Monorail was constructed to ease movement of residents in Port Harcourt Metropolis. The administration of Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi started the huge project in Rivers state. And successive administration in Rivers state did nothing to continue with the project. As laudable as monorail, it is not a short term project that a single administration could finish or complete in eight years.
It is on record that over thirty five billion naira was spent monorail from UTC to Station Bus Stop in Port Harcourt Township. Monorail should not become a waste of public fund to the detriment of road projects in rural communities, considering the amount of money spent on the two kilometres project. One wonders why Rivers state Government would allow the project to be in a state of abandonment till now.
Monorail should not be allowed to be a monumental waste of scarce resources. Today, the interplay of political forces have down played the continuation of monorail as a project that would have transformed transportation sector of Rivers state Government. No doubt, the brain behind the construction of monorail in Port Harcourt was a good one. But the staking reality of Monorail is a threat to purposeful development in Rivers State.
It is sad to see monorail as a site or scene of financial ruin. Monorail project is at a strategic and busy location in Port Harcourt city. It is also sad to observe how monorail is gradually disappearing from sight. Scavengers are having a field day in cutting the expensive aluminium steel into various pieces for sale. This is unbelievable and unacceptable in modern time.
The Ministry of Transport that should be the sole operator has been quiet for some time now. And this has given room to anybody with ill-motive to destroy the facility that is in the heart of Port Harcourt. The Rivers State Government should not allow the monumental project to be a waste of public resources in this jet-age of supersonic and technologies advancement in every facet of discipline.
The monorail facility is domiciled in Ministry of Transport and there is need to monitor what is happening to the multibillion naira project. Rivers state Government should review the distance of the project and see how to adjust monorail to serve as tourism in River state.
Today, Lagos state Government is running train services in Nigeria; whether, it is public private partnership, it is working and the citizens of Lagos are using them. There is nothing wrong in reviewing the project to avoid waste of resources. It is indeed, worthy to ascertain the level of damage of the faculty. There could be modification and innovation that would enhance the vision and purpose of monorail to come to fruition.
For instance, the operator of train in Lagos state is Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). In Lagos, the operation started on 4th September, 2023, covering Agege, Ikeja, Ikorodu. Yaba, Mobolaji Johnson, Ebute Mette, Ijora, Alagomeji, Blue line marine, Mile 2, Oshodi etc. State train services are common and functional in Lagos. It will be a sad episode, if the monorail facility is allowed to disappear into thin air without taking a second look at the project.
It is a state owned project that should not be allowed to go into oblivion. It is worrisome to observe that the economic value of monorail had been jettisoned, rather people now talk about political sentiment. If Lagos state can operate train services within Lagos state, Rivers state can do it. Rivers state has the same terrain with Lagos, with water bodies all over. Observationally, train service is cheaper and it carries more passengers than any transport scheme in the country.
The Rivers State Ministry of Transport should expedite action in making sure that monorail comes to reality, adding value to means of transportation in Rivers state. The site of monorail in Port Harcourt is so conspicuous to everyone to see. The project should be made to commence operation in Port Harcourt. It is clear that monorail should be a signature and legacy project of Rivers state Government and should not be abandoned.
The abandonment of monorail project is more than a decade now. It is obvious that monorail if revisited and worked on, will boost the revenue generation of Rivers state. Indeed, Rivers state Ministry of transport should embark on surveillance scheme to apprehend those who are tactically and subtly destroying the monorail facility.
Thus, Monorail is not a short term project, where one or single administration can finish or complete in eight years. And that is why there should be legislation to support long term project to avoid abandonment of projects. Rivers state government as a matter of state’s interest for unstoppable life transforming and revenue generating projects like monorail. Monorail should not be made to be an elephant project that would become heap of refuse.
Indeed, in the 21st century, projects should be accomplished irrespective of administration and political party in power in Rivers state. Monorail project should be reviewed and revisited. It will be a new face of Rivers State Government. And that is the more reason why Gov. Sim Fubara, should look at reviewing and studying what went wrong with monorail project in Port Harcourt. A stitch in time saves nine.***
