BY HAJARA MUHAMMAD
The Borno state Government under the leadership of governor Babagana Zulum has threw more weight behind streets protest by residents of Goidamgari and Railway Terminus general area of Maiduguri Metropolis over the controversial evecuation of Train Coaches out of the state.
Recall that there was a drama that ensued when some trucks at the week end stormed the Railway Station and loaded quite a number of coaches, before Police authority arrested six persons, deflated the tyres of the trucks, even as the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NLC authorities in Abuja issued a statement that the coaches were to be evacuated to Jos, Plateau state for official overhauling.
This is even as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC have admitted that it has recieved an official communication regarding evacuation of the coaches, but the police insisted, it has not been communicated on the matter, hence, the arrest and detention of the culprits.
Addressing hundreds of thousands aggrieved residents who invaded the station on Sunday morning with different placards; such as ‘We want our Railway coaches back, No to evacuation of Railway facilities from Maiduguri’ among other inscriptions, Governor Zulum who was represented by his Deputy, Umar Kadafur informed the protesters that Government under his watch will not allow any Railway facilities to be evacuated out of the state, instead, it would work assidously to revive the Railway services for effective transportation and development.
“We are hear to identify with your concern as a law abiding citizens. We want to assure you that Borno State Government will not allow any of the Railway facilities to move even an inch out of Maiduguri Station.
“Borno is the only state in the federation that borders three different countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroun, and so, Railway servcies is key to enhance trans -Saharan trade. Therefore apart from halting the evacuation of these coaches, Borno State Government will ensure that other coaches that were evacuated in one way or the other are returned back to Maiduguri.” Kadafur said.
He however appealed to the protesting crowd to be calm, law-abiding and peaceful, as Government will take decisive action to halt evacuation of Railway facilities henceforth.
Earlier in their speech, the Village Head of Goidamgari/Railway general area, Lawan Bukar Gaje and the
Youth leader, Mallam Abubakar expressed displeasure on the incident, stressing that Borno state which has suffered devastation by over a decade Boko Haram crisis need Government intervention in reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement including revamping of the Railway services, and not to embark on evacuation of its facilities. End
