Abuja Rail abuse: Tough times  await vandals 

By Stanley Onyekwere

Tough times await vandals of facilities in the nation’s capital, especially the Abuja Light Rail Mass Transit as they been warned to stay clear of the facilities or have themselves to blame when caught.

Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, Abdullahi Adamu Candido gave this warning while inspecting the level of preparedness of the newly engaged security companies ahead of deployment of their personnel to cover the entire length of the rail. 

Candido said: “I advise the vandals to change their means of livelihood if their livelihood has to do with stealing and destroying public equipment. 

“They will be in for it this time around. So we advice them to find another job instead of this one they are doing

“From what we have seen, the manpower of the two security outfits can protect the rail facilities. But of course, we need the complement of the military -the armed personnel. 

“Once, we have these guys managing the tracks, with the personnel well-armed, we are convinced that the tracks and other facilities will be saved”. 

He further explained that deployment of the security personnel would be on the tracks, from point the beginning to the last point, adding that the understanding with the security contractors was for them to “provide security services for all the stations and the tracks adjourning all the stations.”

He also urged the security service providers to keep to the terms of their agreement with the FCTA, noting that “if they were not ready, they won’t even have accepted the job. 

“I say this because the FCTA and Transportation Secretariat will not tolerate any form of incompetence and negligence from them. Our expectation is that they should sit up and sit up indeed and carry out the job as it is expected of them”.