Reactions Trail Railways Resuscitation

Sequel to the current efforts being made by the Federal Government towards reviving the almost moribund Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) several views have emerged as to why the railway must not be allowed to be moribund because of its strategic role in transportation of volumes of both agricultural and industrial goods across the country.

Some whom The Tide interacted with are of the views that the Nigerian Railway is the prime mover of both passengers and goods across the nation, and that the issue of depletion and rehabilitation of road, as a result of much pressure from heavy duty trucks which Federal Government spends several billions of naira from time to time is ruled out in the rail system.

A retiree of the NRC and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT) Mr. J. C. Ilukwe said past administrations in the country had paid lip service to the problem of Nigerian Railway.

According to him, “inspite of the known benefits of railways operations and how it serves the Nigerian populace, as well as reduces pressure on the road, yet past administrations did not show real commitment to its resuscitation, as several promises made just washed through the drain pipe”.

He said that government has without realising it lost several billions of naira as revenue that would have accrued from rail operation, and has also spent much on road rehabilitation due to much pressure of trucks on the nation’s high way.

The NRC retiree further posited that corporation during the leadership of the former Managing Director, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abubakar in its bid to return railway to full operations, revitalised several routes and made them to be functional and viable which many Nigerians do not know are existing, but that government failed on their part to fulfil their obligation in funding it.

He said “it will be quite surprising to people that NRC still maintain the various routes across the country, as well as maintain viable commodities routes, and the passenger freight ton had been on the increase progressively during that period”.

For Mr. Greg Nwankwo, a public analyst, the Federal Government this time have to show serious commitment towards the operations of the railway, unlike the other old promises that was not fulfilled, even with the reconstruction of the rail line from “narrow guage” to standard guage which was not fully realised even when contracts had been awarded.

Nwakwo posited “we have heared about the 25 locomotive engines ordered from China, and reports have indicated that five have arrived Nigeria, but all I want to say is that this should not be like other promises in NRC, because the masses are watching what government is upto in this rail transport thing”.

Corlins Walter