metro
50% fare slash: Luxury bus owners increase trips as more travellers throng parks
50% fare slash: Luxury bus owners increase trips as more travellers throng parks
More travellers heading to their country homes for the yuletide and end-of-the-year festivities have thronged luxury bus parks especially in Lagos to enjoy the Federal Government’s 50 percent fare slash offered on inter-state travels.
In response to this, the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) has announced an increase in the number of scheduled trips on the Lagos-South East and Lagos-South South routes which will last until the end of the Christmas/New Year season.
This, it stated, was in response to the complaints of insufficient capacity to address the upsurge in the number of passengers on the affected routes.
The 50 percent fare slash on inter-state travels was last week approved by President Bola Tinubu for the Yuletide season.
A press statement by ALBON President, Mr. Nonso Ubajaka, and the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Frank Nneji, obtained on Monday disclosed that the Lagos-South-East and Lagos-South South routes had been witnessing an unprecedented increase in passengers since the commencement of the Presidential palliative.
The statement said there had been a sharp rise in the frequency of luxury bus departures from the popular Terminal 1 inter-state public motor park at Oshodi in Lagos as Lagosians were determined to take advantage of President Tinubu’s 50 percent fare palliative to travel to various destinations for the Yuletide season.
At the well lit Terminal 1 on Saturday, December 28, it was discovered that more people preferred to travel with the night buses as passengers thronged the various luxury bus transport companies’ booths to obtain their tickets at half the current fares.
A huge crowd of passengers was reported at the Oshodi Transport Interchange. They queued to obtain the rebate tickets even as others positioned their luggages for loading ahead of boarding.
The buses offering the special fares bore banners with bold inscriptions informing travellers that the gesture was a “Presidential Palliative” passed through the luxury bus owners umbrella body.
Despite large presence of intending passengers at the terminal, there was no stampede or breakdown of law and order as earlier reported by some online fake news platforms.
Checks at the various booths even on Sunday morning showed that a discounted fare of N23,500, which is half of the current N47,000 was being collected from the intending passengers for trips to eastern destinations like Onitsha, Owerri and Umuahia.
The high demand for the cheaper tickets has led to a situation where intending travellers throng the terminal hours ahead of night departures, while many others spend the night there to be able to pay for the discounted fare and board the early morning buses.
Some of the member-companies of the Association of the Luxury Bus Association of Nigeria (ALBON) seen selling the rebate tickets at the terminal are Evergreen Express, Okeyson Transport, Ifeanyichukwu Transport, Izuchukwu Transport, God Bless Ezenwata and Gobison Transport.
Just before departure on Saturday night, some of the passengers on board an Evergreen luxury bus going to Aba who paid N23,500 each, expressed their gratitude to President Tinubu for the fare palliative.
One of them said, ”This is the best Christmas gift anyone can get. I had given up hope of travelling home this season due to the high fares until I heard that the luxury bus transporters are partnering with the Federal Government to sell tickets at half the prices.”
Similarly, some excited Aba-bound passengers on board an Okeyson luxury bus confirmed that they benefited from the 50 percent discount, and thanked the President for subsidising Christmas season travels through the luxury bus transporters.
While an Izu Chukwu bus was seen departing to Asaba, another one belonging to Ezenwata was seen boarding Aba passengers all of whom were visibly excited that they could benefit from the “Tinubu’s palliative.”
Expressing their gratitude to the Federal Government for relieving them of the burden of high transport fares at a time of economic difficulties in Nigeria, most of them appealed for an extension of the January 5, 2025 end date, even as others hope for a similar gesture during the 2025 Christmas season.
“I am happy that I am travelling with my children with the 50 percent tickets. The President has done well, and pray he does it again next Christmas, so that poor people can travel home to meet their relations,” said a Gobison passenger, who disclosed that he and his family were also beneficiaries in 2023.
The leadership of ALBON last week commended President Tinubu for approving the subsidy on Yuletide trips.
metro
Man steals goat for daughter’s naming in Ogun
Man steals goat for daughter’s naming in Ogun
A suspect, Akintoye Wariss, has been arrested by the Odeda Division of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly stealing and slaughtering a Savannah he-goat, worth N200,000, for his daughter’s naming ceremony.
Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the police command, confirmed the arrest, which occurred on January 2, 2024, in the Odeda region of Ogun State. Waris was arrested alongside an accomplice, Ajayi Yusuf.
The two men are accused of breaking into a farm in the area to steal the goat. They reportedly waited until December 25, when the farm owner, identified only as Mark, had taken his cattle out to graze.
READ ALSO:
- Privatise Port Harcourt, Warri refineries, PETROAN tells FG
- 2027: Kwankwaso slams northern elders over choice of candidates
- How I escaped death after my 14-year-old bride poisoned my meal – Jigawa man
Odutola shared that when Mark returned and discovered one of the goats missing, a search was launched in the community. Villagers soon reported seeing the suspects riding a motorcycle with the missing goat and heading toward Olodo town.
The police acted swiftly on the tip-off, deploying detectives who successfully captured the suspects early on January 2, 2025.
During questioning, the suspects allegedly admitted to the crime, detailing how they stole, transported, and slaughtered the he-goat on December 27, 2024. They also revealed that the goat was used for the feast at Waris’s daughter’s naming ceremony in Olodo.
The two suspects are now in police custody and are undergoing further investigation at the Divisional Crime Branch. Odutola assured the public that the suspects would face prosecution once the investigation concludes and that any new updates on the case would be shared accordingly.
Man steals goat for daughter’s naming in Ogun
metro
Privatise Port Harcourt, Warri refineries, PETROAN tells FG
Privatise Port Harcourt, Warri refineries, PETROAN tells FG
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has requested the Federal Government to privatise the Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries in 2025 to firms for efficiency and reduction of government spendings.
It made the request in a document titled: “To whom It may concern,” which The Nation obtained from Abuja on Saturday.
The document was signed by the National President, Billy Hary; Secretary, Barr Adedibu Aderibigbe, and Public Relations Officer, Dr Joseph Obele.
In its recommendations, the association said: “Based on PETROAN’s observations, the following recommendations are made to
ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the downstream sector in 2025:. “Privatization of Nigerian-Owned Refineries: Privatize Nigerian-owned refineries, such as the Warri and Kaduna refineries, to reputable private companies to improve efficiency and reduce government spending.”
It further noted that privatisation of the plants would foster a competitive market by encouraging new entrants and promoting a level playing field to prevent monopolies and ensure fair pricing.
It said it would enhance transparency and accountability.
READ ALSO:
- 2027: Kwankwaso slams northern elders over choice of candidates
- How I escaped death after my 14-year-old bride poisoned my meal – Jigawa man
- APC diaspora rejects group’s ranking Tinubu among most corrupt leaders
PETROAN also requested President Ahmed Tinubu to save the businesses of 10,000 oil and gas marketers with N100billion intervention.
This followed the perceived job losses due to the removal of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol subsidy.
The document said: “PETROAN request for a grant of ₦100 billion from President Bola Tinubu to help prevent the closure of 10,000 marketers’ businesses.
” The request is in response to the threat of job losses that would result from the removal of the fuel subsidy.”
PETROAN also urged the government to address cross-border smuggling of petroleum products by collaborating
with neighbouring countries to strengthen border security and prevent
smuggling, and also utilize digital tracking systems to monitor petroleum
products from refineries to retail outlets.
The association further asked the government to prioritise local refineries’ access to crude oil to boost Nigeria’s refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.
Privatise Port Harcourt, Warri refineries, PETROAN tells FG
metro
How I escaped death after my 14-year-old bride poisoned my meal – Jigawa man
How I escaped death after my 14-year-old bride poisoned my meal – Jigawa man
A 34-year-old man has shared the story of how he narrowly escaped death while his friend lost his life after his 14-year-old bride poisoned their meal two days after their wedding.
Kamisu Haruna recounted that the incident occurred on December 22 at his home in Albasu village, Jahun Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
According to Haruna, after marrying Zahra’u Dauda on December 20 in Kiyawa Local Government Area, he brought his young bride to his residence.
Two days later, as the wedding guests had departed, Zahra’u reportedly sent some of her friends to deliver food to him and his companions around 10pm.
“On Sunday night (December 22), after the wedding guests had dispersed to their various homes, my friends were preparing to take me to the bride’s room. Suddenly, we saw her friends coming towards a nearby shop where we were sitting. They came with cooked spaghetti with beef and said the bride sent them to give us the food.
“While eating the food, we noticed a taste of chemicals and stopped eating, suspecting the food was poisoned. Then we started feeling stomach ache.
READ ALSO:
- APC diaspora rejects group’s ranking Tinubu among most corrupt leaders
- Tinubu to Enugu Gov: You’re a good thinker
- Sokoto offers 1,500 tricycles, motorcycles to riders at 80% discount
“We took milk, but our condition kept worsening. We were rushed to the hospital where my friend, Muhammad Alpha, was confirmed dead,” the groom narrated to a reporter who visited the village.
Haruna alleged that his wife had been influenced by her former lover, who he claimed supplied her with the poison.
“After the wedding in Kiyawa, she (the bride) told me she would go back to her town to collect her belongings. It was there that her former boyfriend gave her the poison and asked her to put it in my food,” he alleged.
The groom also denied accusations of coercing his bride into the marriage, maintaining that Zahra’u genuinely loved him but was misled by her ex-boyfriend due to her inexperience.
“Everyone can testify that we are true lovers. What happened is just our destiny and due to her little experience of life.
“She is still my wife even though her action led to the death of my friend. We prayed for the repose of his soul, and the law enforcement agencies should do justice for all of us,” Haruna said.
Jigawa State Police spokesperson, Lawan Adam, confirmed the incident, stating that Zahra’u, a resident of Bagata Gabas village, conspired with her former lover, 22-year-old Lawan Musa of Bagata Gabas Yamma village, to poison her husband’s food.
“The husband and his two friends ate the food together, and as a result, they both developed stomachaches.
“Victims were rushed to the hospital, where one of the groom’s friends was confirmed dead by the medical doctor on call. The case is under investigation,” the police spokesperson said.
How I escaped death after my 14-year-old bride poisoned my meal – Jigawa man
-
metro2 days ago‘Deepen Shariah knowledge to curb misinformation’
-
metro1 day agoYouths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam
-
metro2 days agoIlorin: Retired works controller murdered on New Year’s Day
-
Business15 hours agoPetrol price may crash to N500/litre, say marketers
-
metro2 days agoTinubu’s refusal to honour Seyi’s pact with us disappointing – Nnamdi Kanu’s family
-
metro2 days agoJealous husband stabs Bishop to death over allege affair with wife
-
Business15 hours agoMeta deletes AI accounts after backlash over posts
-
metro2 days agoMosques should be research centres – Varsity don