The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhiria, on Wednesday, accused officers of the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of conniving with NRC staff in the ticket racketeering scandal.
Mr. Okhiria disclosed this during the ongoing interactive session held at the instance of the House Committee on Finance on the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
While confirming that some of the perpetrators of the crime have been sacked, the NRC helmsman called for the prosecution of the security officers involved in the scandal.
In his intervention, the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Hon. James Faleke, queried NRC management over the accuracy of the report of ticket racketeering at NRC stations.
In his swift response, Mr. Okhiria said, “It is true. Very true. The solution to that is to introduce the e-ticket which we have done. The government has approved, and we have deployed them.”
Okhiria said security operatives deployed by the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to NRC stations are also involved.
“Even with that, it is not just staff, the security people we engage.
“We have a video. Thank God we have cameras. So, we are dealing with the Commissioner to bring his men and Civil Defence to book. They collaborate with our staff.”
Mr. Okhiria said aside from e-ticketing, another measure deployed by NRC is to ensure that those who board the train without following through the right process don’t get to their destination.
“But now what we are trying to do, which our law and our Act permit us to do, is to drop the people at the next available station,” he said.
“So, we dropped more than 50 passengers at Agbor last Sunday. I think with that they are learning their lessons.”
Mr. Okhiria said officials who engage in ticket racketeering are punished, adding that while some staff members are demoted, others are sacked.
“Some have been sacked, some have been demoted — depending on their gravity,” he said.
While giving an update on the insecurity challenges that crippled rail transport operations, Mr. Okhiria explained that insecurity, especially on the Abuja-Kaduna route, has affected the trip on the axis, impacting NRC’s revenue.
According to him, the sum of N520 million, realised on the Abuja-Kaduna route monthly, has depleted to N150 million after the bandits’ attack.
Meanwhile, the office of the Accountant General for the Federation (oAGF) said the NRC had only remitted N345 million in revenue for 2023, adding that the remittances covered January to September.
While ruling, Hon. Faleke, who expressed worry about the revenue generated by NRC so far, noted that: “our concern is that if we expect so much revenue from NRC and we aren’t getting it, then there is a problem.
“I think we should take the decision that the railway should self-fund and take care of their costs and remit to the government the surplus.”