The Federal Government (FG) under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has handed over 20 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to the Oyo State Government.
The Chief Executive Officer and Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Micheal Oluwagbemi, conducted the handover on Monday on behalf of the FG at the Pacesetter Transport Service, Eleyele, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to Oluwagbemi, the deployment of CNG buses in Nigeria was targetted at cushioning the effects of fuel scarcity, outrageous prices and transport costs.
“Ibadan, for generations, has always been attractive since its founding; it’s a place where commerce thrives and a state of secret billionaires. This initiative demonstrates that the state is indeed a pioneer and a fitting place to launch the CNG programme,” Oluwagbemi said.
“President Bola Tinubu has urged us to use our gas resources to advance the transportation industry, produce more food and fertilisers, and undertake other projects that will ease life for the people,” he added.
“We are starting to take the right steps, though it requires us to endure some challenges. We cannot return to subsidising our own impoverishment. As a team, we are committed to this effort.
“We present these 20 buses as part of a sustainable partnership with Pacesetter Transport Service to generate income, as they are valuable assets. We need more such investments to ensure a more sustainable mass transit system, contributing to a brighter future for the state and Nigeria.”
The Chairman and Sole Administrator of PTS, Salami Dikko, who received the CNG buses on behalf of the state government, thanked the Federal Government and President Tinubu for the initiative.
He noted that when he assumed office, he met only five operational buses which has increased to 81.
Dikko expressed delight that CNG was the best solution to the state’s transportation issues.
Governor Seyi Makinde has supported the project to mitigate the effects of subsidy removal.
He called on the PI-CNG to provide an additional 100 CNG buses to cover more routes within the state.
The Special Assistant to Governor Makinde on Environment, Ademola Aderinto, in a goodwill message, said that CNG was a more economical energy source.
“The future for Nigeria is CNG, which is natural gas. It is exciting that the state is leading this initiative. We extend our thanks to President Tinubu and Governor Makinde for embracing this change.”
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