NAN-H-83
NRC
By Kazeem Akande
Lagos, Nov. 16, 2016 (NAN) The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhiria, said there would be no downsizing of the workforce as a result of the planned concession by the Federal Government.
Okihiria stated this while addressing the workers at the corporation’s headquarters on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said that workers would not lose their jobs as a result of the proposed concession of the corporation.
The managing director, however, said that the concession was part of government’s plan to improve the operations and services of the corporation.
According to him, the process will allow more trains to run and accommodate more people to work.
“It is a plan by government to make the operations and services of railway more vibrant. That is why it was proposed for concessioning.
“Concession means productivity and good services to both workers and the general public.
“It is a way of improving the operations and we are in position to negotiate with the concessionaire on how the process will go in order to make profit,’’ he said.
Okhiria said that the concession negotiation had not started between the two parties.
He advised the workers to be hard working and do away with the fear of downsizing.
The managing director said that the corporation had improved on its operations and services where goods and cattle were being transported from the Northern part to the Western part of the country for consumption and businesses.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NURW) appealed to the Federal Government to withhold its planned concession of the corporation.
The Secretary General of NURW, Mr Segun Esan, said that there was no reason to defend privatisation and concession as policies of economic development.
Esan said that concession had simply reinforced underdevelopment, encouraged massive unemployment, massive corruption and social inequality. (NAN)
AKA/IKU/AJA
============
(Edited by Tayo Ikujuni/Adeleye Ajayi)