Kayode Opeifa, the managing director (MD) of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has cautioned vandals against destroying railway infrastructure in across the country.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Saturday, Opeifa stressed that the infrastructures are critical components and invaluable national assets essential for the country’s unity and economic development — not mere scrap materials.
He emphasised the significance of the railway system beyond its immediate transportation function, highlighting its role in binding the diverse Nigerian populace.
Opeifa said not all railway materials are scraps, adding that they are functional, integrative infrastructure that forms the backbone of the nation’s connectivity.
The NRC boss recounted encountering similar issues internationally but pointed out a unique local problem.
“I was at a conference in South Africa I think in the month of April and I was shocked that people are even stealing electric cables that powers their trade,” he noted, contrasting this with the prevalent issue in Nigeria,” he said.
“But what do they steal here they steal the steel, and they call it scrap.”
He noted the destructive impact of vandalism, explaining that the “scraps” are in fact fundamental elements that facilitate national cohesion.
“Those are the assets that link our people by culture, by religion, by tribe to each other,” he said.
“Through those tracks, you can transit from Lagos to Osogbo speaking Yoruba. You’ve got to learn speaking further when you get to Ilorin to Mokua and Niger, you change to Nupe from Nupe you start speaking Hausa and go further to speak Igbo.
“You speak fufide in Kaura Namoda or some other language when you go to the other side you are speaking calabari, you speak Edo then if you want to go further, you speak Hebrew and you move further you start speaking Tiv and when you get to Maiduguri, you are speaking Kanuri.”
The NRC boss emphasised that any act of vandalism is like striking at the fundamental foundation of Nigeria’s national identity.
“Anybody vandalising them is like going to the heart of our people, the integration that binds us together,” he lamented.
Opeifa pleaded with the local communities that are located along the railway tracks to assume responsibility and guarantee the continued existence of these essential resources.
He added that train lines frequently turn rural regions into large cities, directly benefiting the local population.
“Every part the railway passes through becomes a major city, so it is in the interest of the locals too to make sure the railway survives,” he added.
