By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State government received ten Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses on Wednesday in Lokoja, aiming to alleviate the high cost of transportation resulting from the removal of the petroleum subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The handover ceremony for the Conversion Initiative Programme (CIP) was held in Lokoja and aligns with the Federal Government’s decision under the Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGI).
Kogi State Governor Alhaji Ahmed Ododo, represented by his Deputy, Elder Joel Salifu Oyibo, commended President Tinubu for this commendable initiative.
He assured that his administration will support any initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of citizens, pledging to engage in the program to help lower transportation costs in the state.
Governor Ododo further revealed that under this new initiative, 250 youths selected from across the 21 local government areas of the state will receive cutting-edge training in critical areas such as CNG conversion, welding and fabrication, and solar system installation.
In his remarks, the Minister of Steel, Alhaji Shaibu Abubakar Audu, stated that President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda has reached the doorstep of the citizens.
Audu highlighted the 40 percent reduction in transportation costs through the use of CNG vehicles as a significant achievement, noting that the economy was on the verge of collapse, which necessitated the President’s decisive action to address the situation.
The Project Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential CNG Initiative, Engr. Micheal Oluwagbemi, emphasized that this initiative would reduce transportation fares for Nigerians, adding, “The conversion is free, as promised by the Federal Government.”
