No one will lose legitimate land, Opeifa assures Iddo Train traders

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Dr Kayode Opeifa has assured that no legitimate trader would lose out as a result of the facelift being planned for the Iddo Train Station by the corporation’s management. Opeifa made this known at a meeting with the leaders of the Iddo Train Terminus Traders, Ijora Olopa/Ajeloro […]

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Dr Kayode Opeifa has assured that no legitimate trader would lose out as a result of the facelift being planned for the Iddo Train Station by the corporation’s management.

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, at the NRC Conference Room, on Friday.

He disclosed that he invited them to the meeting in order 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 noted that it was regrettable that many of the traders have operated for several years at the various markets illegally, adding 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 is legitimately acquired from the Nigerian Railway property, however expressed regrets that people are already building on railway tracks without any approval from the corporation.

 

 

 

“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.

 

 

 

Leaders of the traders expressed happiness that the Managing Director thought it fit 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,” Alhaji Rashid Bashorun Ajibola, the Chairman of Iddo Railway Terminal traders said.

 

 

 

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.