Reps investigates NRC over train’s mid-trip refuelling
The House of Representatives has on Tuesday, resolved to place the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on the status enquiry over the recent case of midway stoppage of a train on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line due to shortage of fuel.
However, the House is investigating the NRC and the entire railway system based on a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.
Elumelu, moving the motion titled ‘Need to Investigate the Ibadan-Lagos Train Fuel Saga,’ noted that the NRC was established about 112 years ago for the purposes of easy and cheap movement of bulk goods and commuters from hinterlands to seaports and vice versa, adding that its first rail business activities were commenced with the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line.
Elumelu recalled, “another sad episode” that played out on March 11, 2022, where a train conveying passengers and goods from Lagos to Ibadan came to a halt midway due to insufficient fuel and “once again endangering the lives of innocent Nigerian travellers on the trip.”
He said, “The House is concerned that another of the operational incompetence of the NRC is the issue of ticket racketeering and hoarding to the public, thereby undermining government revenue, which inhibits target loan repayment and constitutes economic sabotage.
“The House is further concerned that this episode exposes the carelessness, irresponsibility and incompetence of the management of the Nigeria Railway Corporation to effectively and efficiently manage the sector.
The lawmaker stated that the House was disturbed by the excuse given by the Managing Director of NRC, Fidelis Okhiria, which he said was “not just laughable but points to the inability of the management to effectively conduct routine standard operational checks, thereby raising serious issues about the safety and reliability of our rail services, which must be seriously investigated.”
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While the Minority Leader prayed the House to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the NRC and its inadequacies and report back within four weeks, the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, amended the prayer, asking the chamber to place the corporation on status enquiry.
Amending the prayer, Okechukwu said, “This motion qualifies for a status enquiry, knowing the amount of money we borrowed from China to build that railway. We cannot achieve efficiency or pay back that money when diesel finishes in the middle of nowhere.
“My amendment is that the House resolves for a status enquiry on the operations of Nigerian Railway Corporation and reports back to the House in four weeks.”
The motion was unanimously adopted as amended.
