The management of Nigerian Railway Corporation is waiting for approval of Federal government in order to employ junior staff from grade level 01 to 06.
This is as management has concluded employment process of graduates on grade level 08:most of whom have been trained and redeployed.
Managing director of the corporation Engr. Fidet Okhiria who dropped this hint recently in Lagos said that as soon as approval is granted junior staff will be recruited to perform various functions like clerical, track monitoring, security, grass cutting amongst others.
He explained further that the management of the corporation cannot just employ staff except with the approval of government after adequate budgetary allocation must have been made.
According to Okhiria the senior staff recruited are graduates who were posted to various districts of the corporation for training for one year before deployment.
He noted that investment in railways is capital intensive and government cannot afford to employ people without training to handle railway equipment otherwise there will be accidents.
On security, apart from Nigerian Railway Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps that provide security the corporation is kissing with community leaders along the railway corridor between Lagos and Kano with a view to enlighten their wards on the implications of vandalizing railway tracks.
The NRC boss disclosed that the corporation has zero tolerance for vandalizing and that culprits and buyers of tracks will be arrested and prosecuted.
Importers advised to evacuate imports by rail
Concerned about long queue of trucks that has remained a regular feature of our port gates especially at Apapa shipping companies have been enjoined to enlighten importers and their agents on the need to evacuate goods by railway and waterway instead of reliance on the road mode.
Making this known in an interview with DAILY SUN Director of operations BUENO Logistics Limited, Paul Ndibe said that shipping companies are in a better position to advise importers on the best mode to use in evacuation of their imports from the ports to other parts of the country.
He stated that the shippers have knowledge of the port of destination and should be able to advice importers appropriately on mode that should be used for transit.
“It is unbecoming to see long queues of trucks outside the port gates waiting to evacuate imports while other modes are not being utilised”, he said.
According to him, there are inland dry ports at Iddo and Oyingbo and other parts of the country, where imports could be evacuated to by rail from Apapa for prompt transit by road to other destinations.
“Some importers have complained about double handling while offloading containers to wagons on the narrow gauge railway line at Apapa but it is cheaper and faster to use the rail mode”, Ndibe declared.
Passengers accuse railway staff of collecting cash without issuing tickets
Passengers on board the Iddo to Ijoko/Kajola Lagos Mass Transit Train (LMTT) have accused some Train Ticket Collectors (TTC) of Nigerian Railway Corporation of Collecting cash from ticketless passengers on board the train without issuing them tickets.
According to a regular passenger Mr. George Olonode, the TTC’s accompanied by ‘Man O War’ personnel collect cash ranging from the official N700.00 charged to unofficial N500.00 from ticketless passengers on board without issuing tickets.
He noted that a passenger who dared to request for ticket from a TTC after rushing into a moving train at Ebute-metta Junction was threatened with a penalty ticket of N1,400 for requesting for a ticket.
Another respondent Mrs Gladys Eligbue advised the management to monitor activities of the ticket collectors because the corporation is loosing a lot of revenue that could have used to put the coaches in good condition.zz
She averred that staff found wanting as regards collection of cash without issuing tickets should be sanctioned in line with act establishing the railways.
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