The House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed worry over what it decried as low revenue from the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
This was as the Office of the Accountant General for the Federation said the NRC remitted only N345m in revenue for 2023, adding that the remittances covered January to September.
The observations were made when the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on Wednesday at the 2024–2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) interactive session in Abuja.
Answering questions from the James Faleke-led committee, Okhiria admitted that there was ticket racketeering by of staff in the NRC, leading to loss of revenue.
He, however, said the culprits had been sacked while those involved in lesser offences were demoted.
Addressing the NRC MD, Faleke had said: “Social media clips show how your staffers are engaging in ticket racketeering.”
In response, Okhiria said, “This is true, and the solution to that is e-ticketing, and the government has approved that.”
He said the corporation was working with the security agencies to arrest the menace.
Faleke, however, expressed worry about the revenue generated, adding that “our concern is that if we expect so much revenue from NRC and we aren’t getting it, then there is a problem.
“I think we should take the decision that the railway should self-fund and take care of their costs and remit to the government the surplus,” he said.
Nigeria owes fallen heroes’ families support — Shettima
Stephen Angbulu, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday, said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is committed to the welfare of the Nigerian Armed Forces, including families of fallen heroes.
“My heart goes out to the families of those who paid the supreme price. We have the moral burden to support them,” the VP declared shortly after he was decorated with the emblem of the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tuesday evening.
The Senior Special Assistant to the VP on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday titled, ‘Tinubu committed to the welfare of families of fallen heroes, says Shettima.’
He said the administration’s resolve was in acknowledgment of the sacrifices of service personnel to the unity of Nigeria and sustenance of global peace.
Shettima said, “We really need to identify with the families of our fallen heroes – those who made the supreme sacrifice in the enthronement of peace in our country and our world in general, from Congo to Liberia, Sierra Leone and beyond.”
Earlier, the National Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin, said the annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration was a solemn occasion dedicated to remembering the sacrifices of fallen heroes of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He also urged Nigerians to always remember the families of the fallen heroes, especially by contributing resources through the Nigerian Legion for the welfare of their loved ones.
