Nigerian Railway Corporation suspends erring staff over ticket racketeering

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said the management has suspended an employee on its pay roll following a viral video that has been trending on various social media platforms clearly showing where the staff was negotiating with passengers on-board the Lagos-Ibadan Tran Service (LITS) to pay without obtaining official boarding ticket.

In a statement issued and signed by Mahmood Yakub, deputy director, public relations of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), it seriously condemn such act of misconduct which is a flagrant disobedience to laid down rules and utter betrayal of the confidence reposed on such workers.

Mahmood Yakub said the NRC regrets that, this coming especially at this time that, the federal government is making all efforts at revitalising and modernising the Corporation.

In the statement sent to Business A.M, the NRC public relations head said this misconduct is regrettable and unacceptable as it negates the tenets and norms of the Corporation.

The corporation has therefore placed the identified erring officers on immediate suspension pending the outcome of the in-depth investigation already on-going by the management committee set up to look into the issue.

Yakub assured travellers using the train passengers that, this unwholesome attitude and image dent to the NRC by any staff will not be tolerated nor treated with any levity.

He said that accordingly, disciplinary proceedings in line with the extant rules citing relevant sections of the NRC General Rules and Public Service Rules (PSR) will definitely be visited on all those found wanting or connected to this irresponsible act.

The management of NRC wishes to use this medium to enjoin all our intending passengers on LITS and other train corridors to insist and demand for boarding ticket(s) after making appropriate payment at the designated stations or book online appropriately.

NRC says, electronic ticketing system is been deployed and will be available on both the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service and the Warri- Itakpe Train Service (WITS) by end of October, 2023.

MIKE OCHONMA