Sunday Okobi
The Association of Nigeria Railway Senior Citizens (ANRSC) has raised the alarm that over 50,000 former employees of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) are at the moment homeless, whereas others are dealing with eviction from their official quarters because of the refusal of the NRC administration to implement a 2004/2005 Monetization Policy of the Federal Government.
Addressing transportation journalists over the weekend, the National Chairman of ANRSC, Segun Esan, stated: “It is vital to say right here that the federal authorities launched the Monetization Policy in 2004/2005 for 2 main causes.
“The first reason is to relieve the federal government of the huge financial burden of maintaining these government quarters, vehicles, and domestic staff across the country. These quarters are to be sold to the occupants on an owner-occupier basis, whether serving or retired, at discounted and affordable prices.”
According to him, “The second cause for the promulgation and implementation of this gazetted monetization coverage is to make use of the fact of the present quarters to offer houses for the federal authorities employees and their households.
“And the White Paper and the SGF Circular Ref. No. SGF/OP/I/S.3/VII/2003 was very clear concerning the monetization: To convert all authorities quarters to an owner-occupier foundation by promoting them to the authorized occupants.
“That was the aim. It was a welfare and retirement safety coverage. It has been totally applied in all of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the federal authorities, which incorporates NNPC, CBN, NPA, FAAN, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Department of Meteorological Services, and even within the Judiciary.
“Today, Judges and workers of the Judiciary are proud homeowners of their former official quarters. Their employees have peace after retirement. And we surprise why the Nigerian Railway Corporation is completely different. Why are railway employees singled out for punishment by its personal administration?
“This is the place we should communicate with pains, however with info. The previous administration of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, by itself, commenced the implementation of some a part of the monetization course of. They monetized and shared autos – official cars- and so they monetized furnishings, paying furnishings allowances to themselves. They benefited robustly from the coverage. But when it got here to crucial side – the quarters the place the poor retirees stay – they refused to implement it. This is selective justice. You can not take your individual autos and furnishings below monetization and deny the retirees their quarters below the identical coverage. That is injustice and oppression.
“Successive managements since 2004 have turned our quarters into a cash cow. Our quarters have been sold secretly to third parties, to money-bags and cronies. They have been leased out at exorbitant rates while the legal occupants – retirees – are being evicted. They used the period of interminable litigation as a window to continue selling our heritage.”
He stated that on January 6, 2016, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, then the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), in Suit No. NICN/LA/22/2011, delivered a landmark judgment of their favour after being in courtroom for 5 years. “The courtroom affirmed that we’re entitled to personal our quarters below the Monetization Policy. Instead of obeying that judgment, NRC Management in 2016 ran to the Court of Appeal and has saved the case there since 2016-10 years down the road now.
“In its glorious days, the Nigerian Railway Corporation was the highest employer of labour in Africa, with over 50,000 workers spread across the North, North-East, North-Central, North-West, Western, Eastern and Lagos Districts of the Corporation. Till today, those 50,000 workers have created millions of families all over the country who today form a critical voting population in every state of Nigeria,” he stated.
Esan added: “It is on the premise of this injustice and deprivations that we enchantment to our President and father, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for assist. We know that our President is a compassionate and simply chief with lots of respect for the retirees. “We implore His Excellency to, please, direct the implementation of the monetization coverage. The homes exist already – they’re the quarters we stay in. With the development in know-how, provision of quarters for civil servants is not in vogue all around the world.
“The government has no business keeping the quarters of a privatised and already liberalized railway industry to itself. The quarters are to be sold as expressly directed by the policy while the government, through the Corporation, concentrates on providing rail transport services to the nation.”
