OPINION; ALAKISA TO NJO LORU (1) ; WHERE ARE THE TRAINS?

I love trains. Maybe because it had to do with the fact that my father was a staff of NRC before he started his own sawmill business at Tapa street, Ebutte Metta, which gave us, his kids, a lifetime pass to ride the train.

My first recollection of Idogo, made popular by Ebenezer Obey, and Oyingbo, two major markets tied to the rail line was that of sugarcanes and akara, just like fresh bread and hot suya was the aroma of Shagamu if you travelled by road.
Whenever i am out of the country, which is fairly often, trains were usually my favorite mode of intra city transport, especially in London, where 30 pounds orion fill up would enable me ride the Underground and the buses for about two weeks, if I stay within the adjourning zones, and walk certain distances on foot.
So you could imagine my unbridled joy when I came across this map of Naijarail on Phil Smart's timeline. I was so excited that i sent him a message on who to talk to about doing a story on it, and he refered me to the NRC website.
I was so elated that I took the story to my then MD, Steve Ayorinde and the Editor, Seyi Fasugba, who, while he was amused by my enthusiam, decided to do a front page story and sent a high powered team after the story.
Two weeks and countless visits and calls to those who should know...Ministry of transportation, NRC and others in the Presidency and related agency, no one could give us a definitive progress report or the status of the project.
We ended up using the story as it is, on the front page, but not with the kind of depth, facts and figures that would have been a big plus for the administration, as well as a verifiable, picturesque achievement.
So imagine my sense of shame when a few weeks ago, the Kenyan president took a solo inspection of a similar nationwide rail project, not only giving an update in kilometers and cost, but also mentioning the level of progress, therefore daring opponents to counter his claim.
In my own country, they tell you about 125 Almajiri schools, where are they? what is the level of physical development? what is the cost per school? ditto 13 new federal universities, not to talk of unemployment of ghosts, or use pictures of state government buildings and pass it off as their own.
Whoever wins in March, methinks the Naijarail is second only to power as the weight of measuring developmental achievements outside security, and since Mr. Jonathan kept on mentioning the railways as one of his achievements, we would be glad if, using this map as a guide, ask him...
Where are the trains, or the tracks, or the stations, listed on this map, and how far gone is construction ?, and the level of compliance with set dates?

My Ten Kobo.