The Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee Investigating Failures of Federal Mass Transit Schemes, Afam Victor Ogene, has explained why the Committee decided to interface with the Lagos government and other successful private sector players in mass transportation in the state ahead of the commencement of its public hearing.
Ogene who spoke on Wednesday also revealed that the Committee’s findings in the numerous meetings with diverse stakeholders were very insightful and disturbingly revealing.
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, set up the ad-hoc committee to investigate the failures of Federal Mass Transit Schemes ( land, rail and waterways) in Nigeria since 1999 and to proffer sustainable solutions and report findings accordingly.
Speaking further on the visit to Lagos state, Ogene said, “In the Committee’s research work on the subject matter, it recognises the success story of the Lagos state government in mass transportation and believes it would be beneficial to visit the state, to hear first hand, how the state, as a sub-national is excelling where the federal government has inexplicably failed.”
Ogene also revealed that his committee interacted with the Lagos state governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Femi Hamzat, in its quest for sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s Mass Transit challenges and other key stakeholders.
“Lagos stands out as a state that has set the pace in not only road transportation with The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), but also waterways and the newly commissioned Blue Line (rail), so, our visit to Your Excellency, in this regard given the peculiarity of the state, is an opportunity to benefit from Your Excellency’s experiences in the different sectors of mass transit, exchange ideas on the possible ways mass transit operations and policy in the nation could be rejigged, in a way that would add value to seamless movement of Nigerians and ultimately contribute meaningfully to the national GDP like in other climes, in line with the mandate of the Committee,” he said.
Responding, the statement quoted the Deputy Governor, Femi Hamzat, to have said that the state government was delighted that their efforts in mass transit was being recognised and applauded, even by an organ of government as important as the legislature.
Hamzat said that the state government has always been intentional in its investments in mass transportation in the state, given the huge population of people and increasing need for seamless movement across the state.
The Lagos Deputy Governor also disclosed that mass transportation is capital intensive but also a necessity, and therefore appealed for the federal government’s support, partnership and better synergy in addressing the challenges of the mass transit system in the state.
He said this would add value to the state’s purposeful efforts in the road, waterways and rail modes of transportation.
Hamzat, who attributed the success story of the state in the transportation sector to diligent planning, also revealed that the state would soon launch its Red Lines, which according to the Deputy Governor, would have a higher mass transportation capacity than the existing Blue Lines.
Hon. Ogene also revealed that apart from touring the LAMATA and the Blue Lines facilities in Lagos, the committee also held meetings with other stakeholders, including the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration, NIMASA.
He said the Committee charged NIMASA with improved maritime safety, especially given the fact lacklustre safety regulatory compliance may have been responsible for the rising incidences of tragic boat mishaps across different locations in the country.
The Committee implored the agency to give the same attention it gives to the safety of intercontinental ships to the operations of local ferry services in Nigeria.
Ogene also revealed that the Committee also met with some private transport companies, including the Chisco Group which has run successful mass transportation operations for 45 years.
He said this was in the bid by the Committee to find out how the company was able to run a sustainable transport business in a challenging infrastructural and economic environment
credit: PM News
