Easter: Osun free train service excites beneficiaries

[TheNation]

 

Easter holidaymakers have commended the Osun State government for its Free Easter Train Service initiative from which thousands of travellers from Lagos to Osun State have benefited.

Many of the beneficiaries described the initiative as a far-reaching palliative transportation programme for the masses.

Early in the week, the Osun State Government, through newpaper advertorials and radio and television commercials announced that it had made provisions for free train transportation for people travelling home for the Easter holiday, so as to make their journey less strenuous, painless and pleasurable.

According to the government, the motive behind the programme was to promote the welfare of the people, which is one of the six-point cardinal agenda of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s government.

Majority of passengers that boarded the train from Iddo Terminus, Lagos yesterday said it was their first time of travelling by rail.

They radiated joy, enthusiasm and excitement all through the journey, promising to also go back to Lagos through the same means.

Many of them could not hide their feelings as they spoke freely of the positive effect the free train had on them economically and security-wise.

According to the governor’s media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the programme was borne out of the need to alleviate people’s suffering arising from high fares and transportation hitches in the South-West during festive periods.

One of the travellers, Isiaka Owolabi, who boarded the train at Agege, Lagos disclosed that he had entered a bus going to Osogbo from Iyana-Ipaja for N2, 000 and paid another N500 for his load only to be phoned by a friend that the Osun State Government had provided a free train service for commuters going to the state.

Owolabi, a native of Ila-Orangun in Osun State, who lives in Ayobo, said he quickly disembarked from the bus and headed for Agege where he was issued a ticket to board the train free.

“I had boarded the bus when my friend told me that I should go to Agege to enter a free train. I wondered if that could be true. But when I got there, it was free. That was how I boarded the train and I have been enjoying myself.

“Now, I will use the money meant for transportation for some other economic purposes. If other governors across the states of the federation emulate this welfare programme, it will be good. Transportation will be made easier for the people,” Owolabi said.

Another first-time commuter on train, Akeem Adesina, a native of Iwo, said he never planned to travel on Thursday, but he got to know about the free train ride from the governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola, who is his (Adesina’s) friend on Face Book.

Adesina said he also saw and heard the advertisement of the free train ride on both Television Continental and Radio Continental, so he decided to give it a trial.

According to him: “I first knew about it from the governor, who happens to be my friend on Face Book and twitter. When I heard, I tried to educate the people around me to be aware of it. Again, on Wednesday night, I saw the advert on TVC. So, here I am enjoying myself.”

Receiving the travellers at the arrival of the train in Osogbo last night, the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative and Empowerment, Mr. Jayeoba Alagbada, said the idea behind the programme was to alleviate the pains experienced by people during festive periods.

Jayeoba said the welfare of the people is one of the six cardinal programmes of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the free train ride is one of such programmes in stock for the people.

“During the festive period, we normally have traffic gridlock on our roads, especially along the Lagos-Ibadan-Osogbo axis. We discovered that we could alleviate the suffering of our people by introducing this welfare train by taking people from Lagos down to Osogbo.

“This will reduce the pressure on the road and guarantee the security of lives of our people, which is very important to the Osun State Government.

“Moreover, the welfare of the people is very essential to this administration. You could see that a lot of people followed the train. And you can see from the way the commuters were talking that they were happy. Some of them had never entered a train in their lives until yesterday,” the commissioner said.

The free train services, which commenced on Thursday would be on for four days, shuttling between the Iddo Terminus in Lagos and Osogbo until the final day (Monday).

It will be recalled that a similar arrangement was made in January this year, which coincided with the fuel subsidy face-off that led to total paralysis of economic activities across the country for more than a week.

 



TheNation