The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, says there will be sustainable collaboration with related ministries, agencies and corporate entities to reactivate the road transport and mass transit operations in the country.
Alkali disclosed this during his inaugural address on Tuesday in Abuja when he assumed duty.
He said he has resolved to ensure effective supervision, monitoring and evaluation of performance of all the departments of the ministry and its agencies to meet operational standard, judicious expenditure management and optimal productivity.
The minister noted that he will also ensure a sustainable collaboration with related ministries, agencies and corporate entities to reactivate the road transport and mass transit operations in the Country.
His words: “As you are aware, the Ministry of Transportation was primarily established to facilitate the provision of public transport services and effective coordination of all the agencies and institutions under the ministry.
“The ministry of Transportation shall strive to ensure the realisation of its mandate and the mandates of agencies under its jurisdiction.
“This endeavour will assist to harness the resources of the nation, promote national prosperity and dynamic self-reliant economy
that will actualise the “Renewed Hope” of the present administration.”
The minister stressed that in order to sustain this reality, the ministry must assume a leading role of improving the public transportation sector to support the numerous policies that are geared towards providing democratic dividends to Nigerian, through effective provision of public transport that is secured, affordable and convenient across the country.
Alkali pointed out that the ministry remains among the few ministries that were established from colonial period to date with little modification of name given its strategic place as gateway to the nation’s economy.
He said this might probably explains why the ministry was undergoing restructuring in response to emerging national economic challenges that require the services of the ministry.
Alkali added: “Similarly, I will under study prevailing economic trends, undertake the provision, modernisation, rehabilitation, planning and development of the rail transport sector with efficient security services to support the realisation of primary purpose of government.”
The minister stressed that this initiative will no doubt maximise the potentials embodied in the recent constitutional alterations that moved rail transport services from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.