Ujevwu-Itakpe Railway Station: Rights Activist Alleges Ticket Racketeering By NRC Employees, Calls For Investigation

By Daniel Dafe

Comr. (Amb) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, National Coordinator, Initiative For Social Rights Concerns
And Advancement (ISRCA) AKA “No Justice, No Peace,” has called on the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to investigate allegations against employees of its cooperation, particularly at the Ujevwu-Itakpe Railway Station, of ticket racketeering.

He said this in a statement made available to Oasis Magazine on Tuesday.

He added: “It is being alleged by passengers utilizing the Ujevwu-Itakpe Railway service that staff members have been engaging in widespread ticket racketeering since the ticket purchasing process transitioned from in-person station sales to an e-ticketing system. Additionally, allegations have surfaced that trains are excessively overcrowded, with onboard staff and security personnel allocating standing positions to passengers in exchange for monetary payments.”

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Continuing, he said: “Based on my personal experience and interviews with other passengers who are frequent travelers, it appears that the management has made it extremely difficult for passengers to obtain tickets online through their portal, which is only accessible to staff members who can book all available seats online and then resell tickets to passengers upon arrival at inflated rates.”

He said further: “Despite falling to measure up to standards and disorganized services rendered to passengers, ticket racketeering has become an increasingly pressing issue in its operations, necessitating serious concerns by the Railway Corporation, decisive actions against its staff, and further measures to resolve these allegations.

“These allegations may not have originated from the cooperation itself, but rather from the administrative staffs, who created these lacunas for personal gain. While it is the Government’s responsibility to provide a fair operational environment, the poor attitudes of the people have also become a serious problem in managing governmental affairs.”

According to the statement, “If the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) cannot provide effective and smooth running of the corporation, it should consider contracting the running of the railways to private or foreign companies to manage its affairs; otherwise, these challenges may gradually compromise its existence.”

“However, it is advisable for the railway corporation to revert to its previous purchase procedures, where passengers can manually purchase tickets at a fair rate before boarding,” he concluded.