From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The federal government on Tuesday (yesterday, October 1) in Lokoja launched 10 new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to ease transportation of the masses in Kogi State.
At the signing and handing over ceremony at the Felele motor park, lokoja, with the companies saddled with the responsibility of running the buses, the Chief Executive officer and programme director of the presidential compressed Natural Gas, Engineer Michael Oluwagbemi said Kogi is strategic in the launch of the CNG as it is the gateway of the southern part of the country to the northern part and state with a huge transport hub.
Speaking on behalf of president Bola Tinubu, he said the initiative is to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal and promote a safer, cleaner and a reliable country.
He said the conversion of the commercial vehicles to CNG is free in Kogi and therefore called on the drivers of commercial vehicles and vehicle owners to key into this golden opportunity.
He urged Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities in the CNG sector, saying Nigeria is on the course of revolution by using CNG.
He advised Nigerians not to entertain any fear about the initiative but should rather give the nation the opportunity to leverage its own resources which in turn will grow the economy progressively.
In his speech, the State Governor represented by his deputy, Mr Joel Odaudu, expressed happiness at the launch of the vehicles and called on commercial vehicle owners to key into the initiative.
He disclosed that the State government has made arrangements to train 250 youths at the Nigeria/ Korea institute of technology in the conversion of the vehicles so as to ease the sufferings of the masses in the state.
The minister of steel development, Shuaibu Audu in his speech, said the president had to remove the fuel subsidy so not Nigeria will not collapse saying although there are attendant hardships as a result of the subsidy removal but he expressed hope everything shall be well at the end.
The minister said the president planned to convert one million vehicles to CNG between the next one year and to inject into the economy one trillion dollars by 2030 which he said will enhance the standard of living of Nigerians.
