The House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport has directed the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and its subsidiary, Railway Property Management Company Limited, to halt further sales and leases of the corporation?s properties across the country, pending the conclusion of an investigation.

The Chairman of the House Committee, Blessing Onuh (APC, Benue), gave the directive at a meeting with NRC?s Managing Director Kayode Opeifa and the Managing Director of Railway Property Management Company Limited, Timothy Zalanga.

Onu said the committee was making effort to ensure that the railway sector supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration?s commitment in the railway project.

The chairman said the committee was worried by the plethora of allegations it received on indiscriminate sales and leases of NRC properties and ejection of workers and pensioners from the corporation?s staff quarters.

The lawmaker promised that the committee would revisit the recent sales and leases of NRC properties to ensure due process in the transactions.

Onu expressed concern about the lease of NRC parcel of land and properties to individuals and groups for 75 years while others were leased for 50 and 25 years.

The committee chairman listed the states where NRC has several parcels of land and properties to include Kano, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Kaduna, Zamfara, among others.

She urged the NRC management and that of Railway Property Management Company to ensure that whatever they do does not undermine the efforts of the present government in the railway sector. (The Nation)

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