The House of Representatives expressed concern on Wednesday regarding what they highlighted as the inadequate revenue generated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
During the 2024–2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper interactive session in Abuja, the Office of the Accountant General for the Federation revealed that the NRC had remitted only N345 million in revenue for 2023, covering January to September.
This observation arose while the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance led by James Faleke.
Okhiria acknowledged that there had been instances of ticket racketeering by NRC staff, resulting in revenue losses.
However, he mentioned that those responsible for the misconduct were dismissed, whereas individuals involved in less severe offenses faced demotion.
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 mentioned that the corporation was collaborating with security agencies to apprehend the problem.
Faleke, however, voiced concern about the generated revenue, stating, “Our worry is that if we anticipate significant revenue from the NRC and it’s not being realized, then there’s an issue.”
“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.
