Rail Track Vandalism: Managing Moral Decadence

A government for the people must depend for its success on the intelligence, the morality, the justice, and the interest of the people themselves – Grover Cleveland

As the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) decries the high rate of theft and vandalism of rail tracks and railway components within Enugu State, the need to re-emphasize the culture of managing government infrastructure and facilities has become heightened.

Mr Olusoji Osidipe, NRC Railway District Manager (East) revealed this to the newsmen recently, noting that the high vandalism and theft of railway track and other component was one of the major challenges hindering locomotive services within the Enugu axis of the Eastern corridors of the railway.

However, this problem can be seen in several other modes of transportation and other sectors. While railways are intentionally vandalized in the Eastern part of the country, the roads in Lagos State are punctured to have potholes by touts who use such locations as extortion points for drivers. In other places, the waterways have been converted to refuse dump and makeshift toilets in riverine areas.

How did Nigeria degenerate to this level where sane adults would be seen doing things that they should have chastised adolescents for attempting?

You don’t have to travel far abroad to see how people treat the environment with regard. Go to Cotonou, you wouldn’t find all kinds of waste like in Nigeria. Their waters are clean because they don’t intentionally pollute it.

It is this shambolic attitude of Nigerians that made several governments introduce; War Against Indiscipline, Kick Against Indiscipline, among others. Must Nigerians always need someone to force them to do the right thing?

Speaking to MMS Plus on the abuse of the waterways recently, the General Manager, Lagos Zone of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Muazu Sambo said, “From Liverpool to Kirikiri canal down to Mile 2, you would be shocked to find that people have built structures on the waterways to serve as toilets”

“We have done survey of that route several times this year because NIWA has plans to wipe out these structures. You would be surprised that when we start demolishing these structures Nigerians would begin to support these offenders some human right activists would rise up to fight for these people who have placed their toilets on the Lagoon” Sambo said.

Can Nigerians continue with this attitude and expect to have a better nation?