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Tag: NRC

  • NRC official arrested over alleged ticket racketeering

    NRC official arrested over alleged ticket racketeering

    A Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) official was arrested earlier on Thursday, December 4, at the Ebute-Metta Train Station for alleged ticket racketeering.

    The accused who’s still unnamed was taken by security officials after stranded passengers protested over alleged racketeering of tickets by the officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

    In a video shared by TVC on its official X (formerly known as Twitter) page, security officers who appeared to be Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives, were seen shoving the yet-to-be-identified official into a room where he was detained.

    Read Also: NRC to restore freight train, increase trips in 2024

    This alleged action by the NRC official comes despite an initiative by President Tinubu’s administration that made train services free from December 21, 2023, to January 4, 2024.

    Recounting her experience, an eyewitness told TVC that the NRC official informed them that some personnel were offering to sell a standard class ticket to her for N3,000, instead of N3,600.

    She said: “When we arrived here, the guy said we can book a ticket from him online, that he is going to sell it for us N3,000 — instead of N3,600 — that there is no available ticket now.”

  • NRC suspends erring workers in viral video

    NRC suspends erring workers in viral video

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said it had suspended the officers implicated in a viral video showing them negotiating with passengers on the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) to board the train without obtaining official ticket.

    To forestall a repeat of such misconduct by its workers, the corporation announced that electronic ticketing system would be deployed on the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) and Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) by the end of this month.

    In a statement yesterday by its Deputy Director Yakub Mahmood, the corporation described the incident as regrettable.

    Read Also: NRC introduces Apapa-Kajola inter-city express train service

    It said the suspension of the errant workers was in compliance with punishing the flagrant disobedience to laid-down rules and “utter betrayal of the confidence reposed on such workers, especially at a time the Federal Government is making all efforts at revitalizing and modernizing the rail fixed and rolling stock”.

    A video, which trended on social media platforms between Monday and Tuesday, showed some of the corporation’s ticketing officers collecting fares from passengers without following due process, thereby denying the corporation its revenue.

    The viral video, according to the Mahmood, is unacceptable as it negates the tenets and norms of the corporation.

    The deputy director said the suspension would subsist pending the outcome of the in-depth investigation already ongoing by the management committee set up to probe the matter.

    The NRC assured its passengers and the general public that such an unwholesome attitude and image battering would not be tolerated and would not be treated with levity.

     Maymood said the disciplinary proceeding and sections of the NRC General Rules and Public Service Rules (PSR) would be applied on all those found wanting or connected to the alleged misconduct.

  • NRC introduces Apapa-Kajola inter-city express train service

    NRC introduces Apapa-Kajola inter-city express train service

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation NRC) yesterday said it will soon begin the mass transit express passenger train service between Apapa in Lagos and Kajola in Ogun State on the standard gauge.

    This comes on the heels of Federal Government’s palliative measures to cushion the effect of the petroleum subsidy removal.

    The NRC currently runs a 157-kilometre-long shuttle between Lagos and Ibadan on the standard gauge.

    The Apapa-Kajola route, according to the corporation’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Mahmud Yakub, is the first inter-state mass transit shuttle of the NRC.

    It will provide a more comfortable relief to passengers on the Mass Transit Train Service (MTTS), which the corporation currently runs on the narrow gauge.

    Quoting NRC’s Director of Operation, Akin Osinowo, the corporation’s spokesman said the service is code-named Apapa Express.

    Read Also: 800 bidders for NRC’s projects

    Osinowo, who announced the new route on behalf of NRC Managing Director Fidet Okhiria, explained that the stopping stations for the new train service would be Mobolaji Johnson, Agege, Agbado, and Kajola, where passengers could board or disembark from the train.

    The director of operation said the train service would reduce the hardship experienced by commuters, especially those plying the Apapa to Kajola route.

    He urged passengers to always obtain their tickets at designated stations before boarding the train.

    Also, the Lagos-Ibadan railway has conveyed over 1.33 million passengers in the last two years, The Nation has learnt.

    A document by the media section of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria showed that the project has also created about 5,000 jobs each year in the local community and indirectly supported the employment of at least 20,000 individuals.

    The Lagos-Ibadan project, which took off in June 2021 and was executed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Limited, is the first modern double-track standard gauge railway in West Africa.

    It serves as a crucial component of the ECOWAS’s “interconnectivity” railway network and represents the second phase of Nigeria’s railway modernisation project.

    Being the flagship project of Sino-Nigerian practical cooperation, the Lagos-Ibadan railway adheres to Chinese railway standards and has achieved the fastest construction pace by the Chinese enterprise in West Africa, Chinese authorities have said.

    “To date, it has safely transported over 1.33 million passengers. Recently, the railway introduced dedicated freight services, establishing a vital link between the port and rail, thus expediting the flow of import and export goods, alleviating port congestion, and contributing significantly to the growth of Nigeria’s largest port, the Lagos Apapa Port.

    “It also plays a key role in promoting the development of export-oriented economies in the surrounding areas.

    “Throughout the project’s construction and operational phases, a strong commitment to local engagement has resulted in the direct creation of a minimum of 5,000 employment opportunities within the local community, each year, and indirectly supporting the employment of at least 20,000 individuals.

    “The Lagos-Ibadan railway project has also made substantial efforts in talent development, offering training in various roles related to engineering construction and railway operations, facilitating the transfer of professional expertise.

    “CCECC has organised hundreds of training sessions to contribute to the cultivation of talent for Nigeria’s railway modernisation,” the document said.

  • 800 bidders for NRC’s projects

    800 bidders for NRC’s projects

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) yesterday unveiled over 800 pre-qualification documents of bidders for the capital projects of the corporation.

    Speaking at the event held in NRC Headquarters, Ebute Meta, Lagos, its Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said the corporation was determined to follow the due process to the letters and ensure transparency.

    Okhiria, who was represented by Mr Frank Ajoku urged those involved in the pre-qualification to ensure that the process was duly followed and be as transparent as it could be, to achieve success.

    The NRC Director of Procurement, Mr Benjamin Iloanusi, noted that the step was part of the fulfilment of the due process by the Public Procurement Act.

    Iluanusi explained that the initial phase of evaluating document availability is nearing completion noted that once this step concludes, the next phases of validation, authentication, and evaluation will follow. He added that the bidding process, which commenced with a six-week advertisement period is expected to finalize these subsequent stages within three to five weeks.

    Read Also: NRC blames drop in revenue on bandits’ attacks, diesel price hike

    According to him, regulatory bodies such as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) will be consulted to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the submissions.

    “Today, all we are doing is opening the pre-qualification documents as submitted by the bidders. Then, we are looking at the presence of the eligibility documents. Once we are done with this, we go into validation and authentication process and then evaluation process. The first step, the advert itself that led to this took about 6 weeks there about and then after that evaluation, validation and authentication process will take another maybe three to five weeks. You can imagine, we have over 800 about 900 documents that were submitted so we have to painstakingly evaluate, authenticate and validate all of that and part of the validation too and authentication is going to the relevant regulatory body like the PPP, we will actually go to them to validate, authenticate the document so roughly 3-4 weeks maximum”, he said.

    He commended the behavior and knowledge demonstrated by participants, attributing the smooth running of the process to their understanding of their roles. He also acknowledged the dedication of his team, which has developed standardized procedures over the years to improve the efficiency of the procurement process.

  • NRC blames drop in revenue on bandits’ attacks, diesel price hike

    NRC blames drop in revenue on bandits’ attacks, diesel price hike

    •We make N1m monthly on Abuja-Kaduna route   

    •Lifts, escalators at Idu rail stations fixed after minister’s unscheduled visit

    From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

    The Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) has blamed the drop in its revenue to attacks by bandits and the high cost of diesel.

    NRC Managing Director Fidet Okhiria said this during his inspection of facilities at the corporation’s Idu train station yesterday in Abuja.

    The NRC boss said bandits’ attacks discouraged passengers from commuting with the trains to their destinations.

    He said the high cost of diesel had dug deep into the running cost of the corporation, thus causing the delays in the payment of allowances.

    Okhiria was reacting to the questions that Transportation Minister Saidu Alkali had asked during his unscheduled inspection of the Idu train station on Monday.

    The minister had complained about the lifts, escalators, toilets, and other facilities at the station, which were in bad shape during his inspection, as well as the unpaid allowances to some workers.

    Read Also: Palliatives: Why we delayed distribution – Makinde

    But during yesterday’s inspection, Okhiria explained why things were in such sorry state.

    He said: “The allowance is numerous and a bit huge on us. We have to prioritise because of the cost of operation, especially fuel, which is heavy on us.

    “The next thing is to prioritse security and cleaning because, if the trains are not clean and secured, the passengers will not patronise us.

    “I appreciate the security team and we will do our best to ensure that they are okay. I can say that two months out of the five months outstanding allowances have been paid and we will work out the outstanding.

    “I also appeal to them to cooperate, and they are aware that we don’t usually delay. We pay before the end of every month when things were the same.”

    On NRC’s revenue, Okhiria said: “Before the (bandits’) attack (on March 28, 2022), we were earning N500 million a month. After the attack, we hardly earned N1 million. At the same time, diesel has gone up from N200 to about N1,000 per litre, and we must provide service for the people.

    “I am happy to inform you that following the minister’s directives, we have been able to pay two months.”

    The Nation reports that lifts, escalators, toilets, and other facilities that were not functional at the Idu train stations and in some of the trains when the minister inspected them have been fixed.

    The minister had directed that actions be taken to fix the dilapidated facilities and payment of allowances be made within 48 hours.

    As at 2 p.m yesterday, workers were clearing grasses, sweeping, cleaning, and fixing the escalators at the train stations.

    The lifts had also been fixed.

    Speaking after an inspection of the facilities, Okhiria said: “…We appreciate the minister’s visit and it has woken everybody up, including myself. You can see that they are now responsive to their various roles. As the minister said, we will not tolerate anyone that is negligent.

    “We have a Renewed Hope and we are ready to key into it and ensure that we deliver what is required to make the railway better and more productive.”

  • PTAD clears 33% rail pensioners’ arrears

    In fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to clear outstanding pension arrears of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has paid N375.9 million to 13,754 pensioners of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

    The Executive Director, PTAD, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, in a statement, said the payment was the final installment of the 30 months arrears of the 33 per cent pension increment that was confirmed by the management of NRC.

    She said  PTAD inherited outstanding 33 per cent pension increment liabilities from various agencies at the time of its takeover of payment of parastatals pension in 2015.

    Read also: PTAD to verify 104,133 parastatal pensioners

    Mrs. Ikeazor said between 2016 and 2018, 24 months arrears was paid to the pensioners of the corporation, leaving an outstanding balance of six months as at December 2018. She said with the latest payment, PTAD has settled fully the 33 per cent arrears of NRC.

    She assured other agencies that all arrears will be paid after the completion of Parastatals Pension Department (PaPD) verification exercise later in the year.

  • Train crushes beggar to death in Lagos

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Monday confirmed a passenger train crushed a beggar to death at Muslim area of Lagos.

    Mr Jerry Oche, the Lagos District Manager (RDM) of the corporation, made confirmation while addressing newsmen on the incident in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an Ijoko to Iddo bound Mass Transit Train crushed a beggar to death near the Mushin railway station on Monday morning.

    NAN reports that the unidentified beggar was one of the six beggars that sat in a row near the railway line at the Mushin Railway corridor.

    Read also: 60 SON workers get training

    Oche said life of every Nigerian was important to the corporation, advising people to endeavour to obey the order and signs attached to the rail lines.

    According to him, it is against the law to sit or trade beside the railway line, either begging for alms or for any other reason.

    Oche, however, warned traders, hawkers, beggars and passersby to stay away from the rail lines across the state to avoid casualty.

    “Anybody who has no business entering the train should not be on the rail corridor, because it is very dangerous.

    “It’s like a suicide mission seeing a train approaching and you are still sitting down on the track,” he said. (NAN)

  • Kaduna: We are yet to commence online ticket sale, says NRC

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said it is yet to commence the online sale of ticket to passengers for the  Abuja-Kaduna train service.

    The Managing Director, Engr. Fidet Okhiria  said it was imperative to set the record straight following news on social media that passengers  should purchase tickets online.

    The Corporation while describing the information as untrue and fraudulent urged passengers not to visit such sites

    According to him: “It is not true and we have been making efforts to let people know that we have not started.  The present website asking people to buy tickets online is fraudulent.

    ”We will inform people when we start the sale. We are yet to start because we require it to be very secured,  so that people will find it difficult to hack.

    ”So, I appeal to passengers not to patronise a site for ticketing issues, we still sell our tickets in hard copy at the stations,” he said.

    He however, noted that the process for the e-ticketing was ongoing stating that it was going to be under public Private Partnership (PPP) which would go through due process.

    He also stated that the processes to commence the automated tickets would be finalised by ICRC in the first quarter of 2019.

    “We have gone very far,  we want to partner with private companies so that there will be reliability.  It is currently with ICRC so that all due process will be met,  I hope by first quarter of 2019, we would have finished the processes.

  • Abuja-Kaduna: We are yet to sell online tickets, says NRC

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation ( NRC ) has said it is yet to commence the online sale of ticket to passengers for the Abuja-Kaduna train service.

    The Managing Director, Engr. Fidet Okhiria said it was imperative to set the record straight following news on social media that passengers should purchase tickets online.

    The Corporation while describing the information as untrue and fraudulent urged passengers not to visit such sites

    According to him: “It is not true and we have been making efforts to let people know that we have not started. The present website asking people to buy tickets online is fraudulent.

    “We will inform people when we start the sale. We are yet to start because we require it to be very secure so that people will find it difficult to hack.

    “So, I appeal to passengers not to patronise a site for ticketing issues, we still sell our tickets in hard copy at the stations,” he said.

    He, however, noted that the process for the e-ticketing was ongoing stating that it was going to be under Public Private Partnership (PPP) which would go through due process.

    He also stated that the processes to commence the automated tickets would be finalised by ICRC in the first quarter of 2019.

    “We have gone very far, we want to partner with private companies so that there will be reliability. It is presently with ICRC so that all due process will be met, I hope by first quarter of 2019, we would have finished the processes.

    Read Also: NRC warns against eviction of officials from quarters

    “We are trying to do PPP arrangements, there are some infrastructure that needs to be put in place so that the stations can have one entry in and one entrance out. It is only then that e-ticketing will make sense.”

    Also reacting to the ticket sale, the Manager of Abuja – Kaduna Train Service, Mr. Paschal Nnorli, also urged passengers not to yield to messages requesting them to buy and reserve tickets online noting that such messages didn’t emanate from the Corporation.

    He said: “The attention of management of Nigeran Railway Corporation(NRC) has been drawn to a fake online message requesting prospective passengers on Abuja – Kaduna train route to buy or reserve tickets online by visiting a certain website.

    “The general public especially our esteemed passengers on Abuja – Kaduna Train Sevice (AKTS) are please advised not to patronise any of such calls as they did not emanate from NRC.

    “For clarity sake, NRC train tickets, for now, are obtainable in hard copy only from designated railway stations. Prospective passengers are therefore advised to buy their tickets only from NRC designated ticket offices and not through any other means”, he said.

  • NRC warns against eviction of officials from quarters

    National Association of Nigerian Railway  Senior Staff has asked the Presidency to compel the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and  Federal Ministry of Transportation officials not to evict its members from the staff quarters in defiance of a court order.

    At a media briefing in Lagos, its President, Emmanuel Leshi, decried China Civil Engineering Corporation (CCEC) ploy to acquire the Railway compound under the guise of constructing railway lines in Lagos.

    He described the NRC’s deliberate disregard for court orders as an affront on the rule of law and the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration.

    He said: “With the deal entered with the Chinese government by the Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the management of Nigerian Railway, the Nigerian Railway compound situated at Lagos in Ebute Metta, may finally lose its century-old status to be known as China Town, as they are cohabiting with railway staff, occupying about half of the land area.

    “The ministry, without recourse to the judgment of National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which was delivered regarding the Railway quarters in favour of the Railway staff on January 6, 2016, and the on-going trial at the Court of Appeal, has allegedly used the Nigerian Railway staff quarters in the compound as a collateral to enable the Federal Government to access the Chinese government’s loan of undisclosed sum from the China Exim bank.

    “The Managing Director, on December 6, 2018, directed relevant departments to commence demolition of the so called illegal structures in the contentious Railway staff quarters, this is a ploy to further strip the workers of their legitimate rights on the staff quarters, which is still a subject of litigation before trial and appellate courts.”

    The senior citizens, however, appealed to the Presidency to quickly intervene by calling all stakeholders to order, asking the relevant authorities to obey the court judgment.

    “We demand that the NRC management desist from harassing the occupants of Railway quarters under the guise of census enumeration, intruding into appurtenances, comply with the judgment of the court and begin the process of monetisation policy of July 20005,” he added.