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From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Anambra State government has signed a contract with a Canadian firm, CPCS, for the development of railways’ master plan that would connect the major business hubs in the state.
General Manager/CEO of Anambra State Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr Okey Ezeobi, an architect, disclosed this to journalists in Awka, the state capital, on Tuesday while briefing them on the organisation’s programme for local government officers that would commence this week.
The programme, a six-day Capacity Building series on the Practice of Public Procurement for the Local Government Stakeholders, would be organised by the ANSBPP in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Ezeobi said that the railways were part of the development plans by the governor of the state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to open up the state for businesses to thrive more and also to make it more attractive for investors.
“We have contracted an organisation to prepare the railway master plan for the state. That’s where we are at the moment. They have been commissioned to put up a master plan. “We have commissioned the architect that will do the master plan, that is, the organisation, the CPCS. It is a Canadian based infrastructural advisory organisation. We have engaged them.
“They are currently the ones advising on the blue rail in Lagos State and even the Lagos – Ibadan – Abuja – Kano rail. So, they are foot on ground to deliver the project.
“We have gone ahead of the pack. This is about the only governor that is thinking about the future of the state. What will the economy of Anambra State be in the next 10, 20 years?
“You need to jumpstart it. You need to prepare the enabling environment for the economy to thrive and the people of Anambra State to thrive; for the GDP of the state to move up. You need to make it a vibrant economy.
“And you know transportation is one big infrastructure that we need. We are currently courting the federal government to have a port at Onitsha and we are also talking about Oseakwa Port in Ihiala area.
“So, if you bring in those containers, the cheapest and fastest way to move them out of the port is by rail. So, we are futuristic in our plans and these are sustainable developments that we know that once we get all the feasibility out, they are bankable projects”, he said.
Ezeobi further said that the plan was to connect the major business areas in the state starting from Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the state.
“While not pre-empting them, we know Onitsha as our headquarters of commerce. From Onitsha, I am sure we are going to have a spine towards Ihiala, targeting the Oseakwa Ports.
“From Onitsha, it is going to go through Nnewi – Igboukwu – Ekwulobia – Oko down to Umunze. Umunze is the border town to Abia and Imo States.
“And we are also going to have another one that will go through Anambra North heading towards our boundary with Kogi State. There is going to be one to Awka from Onitsha”, he explained.
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