Nigeria seems to be a one-day, one trouble nation; but not in any comic sense. There are absurd happenings and it hurts more that people seem to assume certain irresponsible or negligent acts are synonymous with the Nigerian system. Problem is, most people in authority are so enamored with positions that they never resign or get sacked for negligence or abdication of responsibility.

In our modern social media world, most incidents get to the global community in seconds. The issue of the Lagos-Ibadan-bound train that stopped in the middle of nowhere due diesel exhaustion in the train had greeted the world. Passengers were stranded in the middle of a bush while the search for diesel was on. In an era of high insecurity level around the country, many would ascribe it to divine providence that the now notorious bandits did not meet the hapless passengers as they panicked while the search for diesel was on.

A lot of theories have been put forward by passengers, analysts and citizen media. However, we are shocked that the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, reportedly told the News Agency of Nigeria that the train stopped midway as a result of fuel gauge failure. “The train gauge was not reading correctly, and by the time they started moving, the driver discovered that there is no sufficient diesel in the train”.

Not many statements from a chief executive can sound so puerile. He excitedly said that under an hour, a drum of fuel was sent to the stranded train. In a country where many people in power take no responsibilities, the man would likely thumb his chest and smile at his explanations that sound very hollow. Which part of the world can this happen without heads rolling and people being held accountable?

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