President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the ongoing CNG Mass transit programme as part of his administration’s strategic plans aimed at building a robust economy for the country.
To this end, the president, in his keynote address at the commemoration of the country’s 63rd independence anniversary held in Abuja on Sunday, 1st October, 2023, said the buses would cut down transportation costs for the citizens and reduce the pains of fuel subsidy removal.
Tinubu likened those making case for continuation of fuel subsidy to a builder family mansion in the middle of a swamp.
“I am different,” he pointed out, adding, “I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.
“Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria, where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few, a Nigeria where hunger, poverty and hardship are pushed into the shadows of a never-fading past.”
According President Tinubu, the CNG buses being deployed across the country will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares.
He said: “Making the economy more robust by lowering transport costs will be key. In this regard, we have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the nation.
“New CNG conversion kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast-track the usually lengthy procurement process.
“We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.
“This is a groundbreaking moment where, as a nation, we embrace more efficient means to power our economy. In making this change, we also make history.”
Also, President Tinubu announced approval of N25,000 monthly payment to average low-grade civil servants for the next six months..
“Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders,” he explained, “we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand Naira per month.”
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