The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Kayode Opeifa, has taken full responsibility for Tuesday’s Abuja-Kaduna train derailment.
Opeifa, who spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, August 27, monitored by Persecondnews, assured Nigerians that the ongoing investigation into the incident would be transparent.
“Let me say, beyond apologizing to Nigeria, I want to say as the managing director and chief executive, I take full responsibility. And in the case of safety, there is no indifference.
“Once it happens, the chief executive must take responsibility. In this case, I am taking responsibility,” Opeifa said.
The NRC boss pointed out that while the derailment should not have happened, measures were being put in place to prevent a recurrence.
“I want to assure Nigerians that an incident like this is not expected, is not prayed for, should not be happening, but where it does, it is to bring out the best in us.
“And I assure Nigerians that just as we are doing currently on the Warri-Itakpe, which he (the analyst) also mentioned, we shut down the Warri-Itakpe (route) three weeks ago.
“I ordered the shutdown for safety reasons, and if you see the level of work the men have been doing on the track, cutting it off and replacing it is to make sure things like this don’t happen,” he said.
Persecondnews had reported that an Abuja-Kaduna passenger train derailed near Km 49, between Kubwa and Asham stations, on Tuesday, causing multiple carriages to overturn and panic among passengers.
However, there were no casualties.
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