The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has accepted full responsibility for Tuesday’s derailment of the Abuja-Kaduna train, vowing that such incidents will not be allowed to recur.
Opeifa made this known on Wednesday while speaking during an interview on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme.
“Let me say, beyond apologising 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.
He stressed that while the derailment was regrettable and unexpected, the NRC was already taking measures to strengthen safety protocols across its rail network.
“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,” he noted.
Opeifa further explained that the corporation had recently shut down the Warri-Itakpe route for major safety upgrades. According to him, the ongoing track replacements there were part of efforts to prevent similar mishaps.
DAILY POST recalls that the Abuja-Kaduna incident occurred on Tuesday at about 11 a.m., shortly after the train departed Abuja for Kaduna.
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