.jpeg "NRC will discipline disloyal employees who are determined to harm the organization's reputation.")
The National Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a threat on Tuesday through a formal statement on X (previously known as Twitter), in response to a complaint filed by Daramola E. Adenike (@Dara4Enjoyment) regarding one of its officials.
Adenike shared a post detailing her journey from Ibadan to Lagos on October 2, 2023, following a weekend excursion with her companions. She mentioned that certain personnel of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) enticed them to board the train without purchasing tickets.
At the outset, the individuals in question feigned the intention of escorting us to the ticket office, only to thereafter guide us to the Railway without procuring a legitimate ticket. The researchers obtained monetary funds during the transportation process.
We reached the Train Station at approximately 03:40pm. As we proceeded towards the gate of Obafemi Awolowo Train Station in Ibadan, we were approached by an NRC officer donning a uniform.
However, the narrative did not conclude at that point. Upon arrival at Funmilayo Kuti Station in Abeokuta, a considerable number of individuals proceeded to get on the train. However, an intriguing occurrence took place. The vendor sold a total of seven tickets to the individuals for the Coach class, without any specific seat assignments.
These individuals embarked the vessel without being assigned a seat. The situation was really awkward. The author expressed the need to engage in a reciprocal exchange with a woman, as indicated by her statement.
The individual also stated that the NRC official in uniform inquired about the possession of tickets, to which she responded by informing him that they were en route to acquire them. Subsequently, he inquired about the quantity, to which she responded by indicating that there were a total of five (5) individuals.
Based on her account, he instructed them to accompany him, subsequently instilling confidence in them due to his attire as well as his self-identification as a member of the staff.
According to Adenike, she and her companions pursued him under the assumption that he was guiding them to the ticket office, but instead they proceeded through the screening process and proceeded towards the Railway.
According to her account, she promptly informed him that they lacked the necessary tickets to embark on the train. However, he reassured her that there was no cause for concern as the situation would be resolved.
I was transferred to another staff member in uniform who afterwards escorted us to Coach 7. Adenike provided an account wherein she communicated to the woman that tickets were unavailable, and the woman acknowledged this fact and assured that the situation would be resolved.
Feeling a sense of discomfort and unease, I proceeded to inquire with two further individuals regarding the possession of tickets. It was seen that all individuals present in coach 7 were found to be without valid tickets, having been enticed through a common method.
During this juncture, I attained an awareness of the unfolding events and had an increased sense of unease. I was on the verge of exiting in order to locate the ticket desk when I saw the time. The time was 3:55pm.
While engaging in a purposeful stride and actively searching for a railway attendant, I saw the arrival of unfamiliar individuals into the train and afterwards initiated an interaction with one of them. I inquired of him whether he possessed a ticket, to which he responded affirmatively. I inquired about the timing of his ticket acquisition, to which he promptly responded, "Just recently."
This finding invalidated my hypothesis that our timing was tardy. I observed the personnel in uniform who guided our group onto the train and proceeded to inquire with them on the tickets.
According to his statement, our group, consisting of five individuals, would be unable to get adjacent seating if we were to individually approach the desk for ticket purchases.
The individual experienced a state of profound surprise. The individual in question had a notable inability to fabricate a plausible falsehood. I returned to my designated seating area. I retained possession of my monetary resources, thereby opting to adopt a passive stance in order to observe the subsequent events.
A short duration following the commencement of the train's motion, the individuals in question initiated the process of gathering monetary funds from the occupants of Coach 7. I made a cash payment of N18,000 to cover the expenses of five individuals. According to Adenike, a total of 60 individuals made payments amounting to N3600 each, despite not possessing any tickets.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation expressed gratitude to Adenike for providing comments and video evidence, assuring that a thorough investigation will be carried out and appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against the implicated personnel.
The NRC has expressed its intention to pursue disciplinary action against employees who engage in misconduct that undermines the corporation's reputation. Additionally, the NRC encourages the public to report any such instances, assuring that appropriate measures will be taken to address these matters.