I was pressured to approve resumption of train service

Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation has said that he was pressured to approve resumption of train service.

Railway operations were closed down, just like a lot of things that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It remained so despite airlines resuming operations earlier in July.

On Saturday, July 25, 2020, Amaechi announced that the Abuja-Kaduna train service will resume operations on Wednesday, July 29.⁣
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The minister said that he was pressured by the upcoming Eid el Kabir celebrations while speaking during a media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday, July 27.

“I refused to agree that we should open the railways.⁣

It is the pressure of those who want to participate in the forthcoming spiritual activities that made me accept that we’ll open the railways from Abuja to Kaduna,” he said.⁣

He asked passengers to ensure that they had their face masks on as they won’t be allowed to board trains without it.

“You will not enter the station if you don’t have a face mask or a hand sanitiser.⁣
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We must make sure it is not below 79% alcohol,” he said