The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on Friday said it was collaborating with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to train its personnel on passenger screening at train stations.
Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said this at the closing ceremony and graduation of the corporation’s screeners, after a training programme.
The five-day Screeners Training Course, held at the FAAN Training School, Ikeja, was aimed at improving security onboard trains and at rail stations.
The managing director said that the corporation was passionate about the security of its staff and passengers at railways stations.
“We are modernising, and those facilities we don’t normally have in our stations, we are now bringing them in.
“We are talking of walkthrough scanners and luggage scanners. We are now installing them.
“We have to train the people to know how to use them, not only on the maintenance and operations, but also the spirit behind it.
“To do that, we have to get people that are already used to doing it.
“We approached FAAN and they are willing to train our people, and what we have done here is training the trainers.
“We started with 10 people because as at the time we started the process for this training, we had only five stations along Abuja- Kaduna rail line,” he said.
According to him, the corporation picked two staff members from each of the five stations, who will go back and train their colleagues.
Okhiria noted that people who patronised the rail transport had to be protected.
He said that the corporation was working hard to build confidence on the rail transport system.
“Now that we are introducing the Itakpe-Warri and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, we will also arrange for more people to be trained.
“I want to appreciate FAAN for this training, in the interest of the nation.
“We are one, whether it is air, land, or rail transport and this collaboration will continue.
“We are doing all these to make NRC conform to what is done all over the world in terms of security,” he said.
Okhiria assured the commuters that the corporation would do its best to make them comfortable, safe and secure.
He urged Nigerians, especially the commuters, to ensure the protection of all facilities put in place, to enhance their safety and security.
Okhiria said that the corporation had been consistent with its operations in the last four to five years along Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor.
He said that it would continue to improve on the services.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, commended Okhiria’s passion and collaborative efforts on the safety and security training.
He said that the “success of NRC is our success”.
Yadudu, who was represented by retired Capt. Sadiq Usman, noted that the collaboration had become imperative in the interest of all.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Dr Anne Egbadon, General Manager, Training and Human Resources Development, FAAN, described the training as comprehensive, having covered various areas of security at the rail stations.
Egbadon said that the training covered attacks and counter measures, security awareness, access control mechanism, and screening processes for persons and luggage.
Others areas include components of explosive devices, image interpretation and cargo consignment on railways.
One of the participants and class governor, Mrs Elizabeth Uguru, expressed satisfaction with the training.
She said that the skills acquired would make them more productive at work.
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