112,000 passengers benefit from FG’s 50% fare cut - Luxury bus owners – Newstrends
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112,000 passengers benefit from FG’s 50% fare cut – Luxury bus owners

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112,000 passengers benefit from FG’s 50% fare cut – Luxury bus owners

At least 112,000 passengers have so far benefitted from the 50 percent fare reduction on inter-state routes since the offer announced by the Federal Government took effect on Thursday, December 21, 2023 (to end on January 4, 2024).

The Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) disclosed this in a press statement in which they applauded the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for introducing the unprecedented gesture of subsidising transport fares for Nigerians during the festive season.

Signed by the National President, Nonso Ubajaja, and the Honorary Secretary, Frank Nneji, the statement said ALBON member-companies had been mobilised towards ensuring that more passengers take advantage of the Federal Government’s ticket rebate to travel to various destinations before the offer ends on January 4, 2024.

“We wish to assure intending travellers that the issuance of the rebate tickets continues on the designated routes nationwide till January 4, 2024.

“And in view of the fact that many of the people who travelled for Christmas and the New Year celebrations are likely to start returning to base soon, we have again mobilised our members for the return journeys,” the ALBON statement said.

For the return leg of the seasonal travels, the association disclosed that it was mobising some state-owned transit companies to join in the project.

It gave the state-owned companies as Gombe State Mass Transit and Bornu State Mass Transit, amongst others.

At some of the bus terminals and motor parks in Lagos where passengers have been benefitting from the 50 percent discount, passengers expressed their appreciation to the President and his administration for what they described as a timely palliative.

Some of the stations are those of ABC Transport PLC, Okeyson Motors, Izuchukwu Motors, E.Ekesons, Sunquick, Gobison Transport (at Alafia) and Vienna View Ltd.

Departing passengers thanked the government for alleviating the pain of high fares at the time of economic hardship.

The East-bound passengers, some of who showed tickets that indicated they paid between N18,000 and N18,200, which was 50 percent of the prevailing fare of about N36,000.

One of the passengers, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Okonkwo, who said the rebate provided a huge relief to her family, disclosed that she had given up hope of travelling with two of her children until she was able to get the discounted tickets at N18,000 each.

The special fare discount was announced on Wednesday, December 20 and the ALBON members commenced the sale of the discounted tickets the following day, and will continue till January 4, 2024, according to their statement.

Among the routes approved by government for the fare slash are Lagos to major cities in the North, and South-East, and South-South, such as Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, Jos, Onitsha, Owerri, Enugu, Nsukka, Abakailiki, Aba, Uyo and Port Harcourt.

Also listed are Onitsha to Lagos, and various destinations in the North, including, Kano, Abuja, Sokoto, Jos, and Gombe, as well as Aba-Owerri-Abuja; and Aba-Lagos.

On Friday, the Presidency named additional motor parks in the country where discount could be obtained.

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

 

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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