The Nigeria Railway Corporation has suspended members of staff who were caught negotiating with passengers on the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service without obtaining tickets.
A long viral post had trended on the social media showing the yet-to-be-identified staff collecting money from passengers who did not obtain tickets prior to the take-off of the train.
A post by one Daramola E. Adenike @Dara4Enjoyment on X (formerly Twitter) had trended for days on the microblogging site and WhatsApp where the user narrated how several passengers in one of the coaches did not obtain tickets but the NRC officials collected cash from them.
The post read: “On my way to Lagos from Ibadan today, some NRC employees lured us to board the train without tickets. Initially, they acted like they were taking us to the ticket counter only for them to lead us to the railway without official ticket.
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“They collected cash on transit. On 2nd October 2023, my friends and I were going back to Lagos after a weekend getaway in Ibadan.
“We arrived at the Train Station around 03:40pm. While we were walking to the entrance of Obafemi Awolowo Train Station Ibadan, a uniformed NRC official approached us.
“He asked if we had the tickets and I told him we were on our way to get tickets. He then asked how many we are and I told him that we are five (5).
“He told us to follow him. We were confident we could trust him because he was wearing a uniform and identified as a staff.
“My friends and I followed him thinking he was leading us to the ticket counter only for us to pass through screening and head towards the railway.
“I immediately told him that we do not have tickets to board the train but he said I shouldn’t worry that it would be sorted.
“He handed me over to another uniformed staff who led us to Coach 7. I told the lady the same thing that we do not have tickets and she said she was aware and it would be sorted.
“While pacing and looking for a staff, I saw new people come into the train and I approached one of them. I asked him if he has a ticket and he said yes. I asked him when he got the ticket and he replied, ‘just now’
“This ruled out my assumption that we were too late. I saw the uniformed staff that led us into the train and asked him about the tickets. His response was that we are a group of 5 so if we go to the counter to purchase the tickets we would not be able to sit together.
“I was shocked. He couldn’t even make something believable up. I went back to my seat. I still had my money with me so I would wait and see what happens next.
“Few minutes after the train started moving, they started collecting cash from people on Coach 7. I paid N18,000 cash for 5 persons. Over 60 persons paid N3,600 each without tickets.”
Our correspondent reports that the practice has been rampant with the staff collecting cash from some passengers who arrive a little late to the train station.
Meanwhile, the NRC has suspended the officials involved pending an investigation into the case.
Spokesman of NRC, Mahmood Yakub in a statement said the NRC frowned at the act of the staff and said an in-depth investigation had commenced.
He said, “The public is invited to note that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) seriously condemns such act of misconduct which is a flagrant disobedience to laid down rules and utter betrayal of the confidence reposed on such workers, especially at this time that the Federal Government is making all efforts at revitalising and modernising the Corporation.
“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.
“Our esteemed passengers and the general public are assured that this unwholesome attitude and image dent to the Corporation by any staff will not be tolerated nor treated with any levity. 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. Please note that the 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.”
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