The announcement by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Muazu Jaji Sambo that the Federal Government is bent on concessioning assets of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to private investors to generate more revenue has sent shivers down the spines of many railway workers who fear that the massive job loss that trailed the port concession of 2006 could repeat itself if rail assets are concessioned. This is even as the workers vowed to resist any form of mass lay-off by new owners if government goes ahead to concession rail assets.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, a cross section of railway workers who wouldn’t want their names in print explained that anytime assets are concessioned to new owners, workers are usually the sacrificial lamb.
According to some of the workers, “We read in the news that the new Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo is bent on toeing the path of his predecessor as regards rail unbundling. The former Minister started the process and constituted a committee but nothing was achieved under him. For many of us, we felt that idea was dead and buried.
“However, the body language of the new Minister has suggested that he also shares that idea. We are not against unbundling of the NRC, as long as workers are not used as sacrificial lamb. We remembered what happened at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2006. Close to 20,000 port workers lost their jobs because of that port oconcession. Now, it seems the turn of the railway workers is getting nearer. We are waiting for government to kick start the process. They are yet to approach the workers about it and we will see if they will go ahead without meeting with us.”
When contacted on the development, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR), Comrade Segun Esan said that since government has not approached the workers about the planned unbundling, the association is yet to make a position on the issue.
In the words of Comrade Sgun Esan, “The ministry has not deemed it fit to meet with the workers over the planned unbundling. We have been reading in the newspapers about it even when Honourable Rotimi Amaechi was Minister of Transportation.
“We want to see how they intend to go about the unbundling process without the workers. We have not issued any statement about it because they (government) have not called us to discuss it with us. However, whenever we feel its appropriate to make a statement on it, we will surely issue a position.
“We are not against the planned unbundling of railway assets, but we are very concerned about the plight of the workers. So when it’s time for us to talk on the issue, we will surely do.”
Recall that the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Jaji Sambo had said in Lagos that the NRC cannot be the owner, regulator and operator all at the same time, stating that the process towards the unbundling of railway assets will continue.
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