The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has promised that all legitimate traders will be accommodated during the planned facelift of the Iddo Train Station.
Opeifa made this known at a meeting with the leaders of the Iddo Train Terminus Traders, Ijora Olopa/Ajeloro Fish Traders, Ifelodun Traders and Otto Traders, operating in and around the Iddo Train Terminus.
He said he had invited them to the meeting, to assure them of the safety of their businesses and investments on the heels of the facelift being planned for the nation’s old train station by the corporation’s management.
Opeifa said the exercise which may affect some shanties, however noted that it was regrettable that many of the traders have operated for several years at the various markets illegally.
He stated that some are even operating without valid documents, while others who claimed to be paying, were paying to the wrong people.
“The present administration of the Nigerian Railway Corporation is determined to transform Iddo Train Station. You can see that we have started with some paintings of the terminus and let me assure you that we are bringing back the trains to serve our people,” he said.
Opeifa who declared that no one will lose land that are legitimately acquired from the Nigerian Railway property, however expressed regrets that people are already building on railway tracks without any approval from the corporation.
He said; “It is our desire to contribute to helping to improve the value of where you trade. Iddo is dirty. There is no electricity and no toilet facilities. We are working very hard to ensure we bring back these facilities. I have created a business unit for Iddo, because of the priority we have set for the place. We are determined to flush out drug traffickers from all our landed property at Iddo and we are assuring you that the place would no longer be a hideout for criminals. The time that rightful tenants of our property would benefit from Iddo has finally come. We would leave no stone unturned in achieving a total transformation of Iddo Train Terminus.”
Opeifa assured the traders that the corporation is not going to increase rent on any of its property around the area, though he emphasized the need for the corporation to have records of all its tenants at Iddo but all tenants will now be paying directly to the Nigerian Railway Property Management Company Ltd (NRPML).
He urged the traders to continue their economic activities without fear, stressing that the corporation is harping on willful compliance to all tenancy agreements in order to shore up its revenue which he said would be used to improve on the state of facilities at the Iddo markets.
“Nigeria’s economy is kept busy and vibrant by activities of traders like you and I can say that economic activities between Iddo and Apapa Ports alone, keeps that nation’s economy going,” Opeifa added.
Leaders of the traders, Rashid Ajibola expressed happiness that the Managing Director thought it wise to meet with them, to share his plans for the transformation of Iddo Train Terminus.
“This is the first time that we would meet with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and we are happy because we are relating with someone who shares our feelings and have allayed our fears that the corporation would eject us forcefully out of the market which has provided food on our table for decades,” Ajibola said.
Ajibola who claimed Iddo Market supplies rice to all major markets across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, assures Opeifa of the readiness of his members to support his administration to succeed.
The Chairman of Ijora Olopa Ajeloro Fish Market, Mr Aina Adekoya, expressed happiness that the NRC MD was not interested in taking over their market, but working to transform the Iddo Train Terminal and its environs, which would be in the interest of all traders.
The traders agreed to go back home and redouble their support for the success of the NRC MD, now that they have been assured of his commitment to their welfare and the growth of their trading activities.
Olusola Akintonde