by Lucy Ogalue
The Federal Government is to deploy present-day technology and rapid response by relevant security agencies in tackling rail insecurity.
The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, said the decision was reached after studying several submissions and recommendations presented to him on how to tackle the menace.
He made this known when he visited the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Amina Mohammed, at the United Nations Headquarters complex in New York, USA.
The minister is a lead speaker on financing Nigeria’s Power and Transport infrastructure at the Nigerian International Economic Partnership forum at St. Regis Hotel, New York, slated for Thursday, where President Mohammadu Buhari is the Keynote speaker.
Mohammed told the minister that she had families who had employees who lost their lives in the train attack in Nigeria and some were still in captivity.While commiserating with her, the Minister said he had studied several recommendations and proposals and had settled in on one that would give a long term solution and cover both rail and road security.He said after testing this in the coming weeks, it would be a template for the entire country, adding that he was working tirelessly with his team to ensure release of those in captivity.
Meanwhile, the duo of the Minister and Deputy secretary-general shared perspectives on involving communities, traditional rulers along the rail and road routes.”The security of a nation is its community and when communal involvement is employed, coupled with technology and rapid response, the insecurity can be nipped in the bud to a large extent.”While commending Mohammed, the minister said his visit was to solicit for assistant and opportunities for the Ministry.
He then commended the secretary-general saying that:”The task is not easy, but honestly, you are doing us proud indeed, we pray for strength, resilience and wisdom as you discharge your duties.”The Deputy secretary-general pointed out that the infrastructural development of the Buhari led administration was worthy of commendation.Mohammed while noting that people won’t see progress when they were living in insecurity, expressed excitement that the Minister’s Initiative would go a long way in dealing with the challenge.The deputy secretary-general stressed that Nigerians looked forward to more strides and results from him.(NAN)
