FG/NURTW take CNG vehicle campaign to Abuja

FG/NURTW take CNG vehicle campaign to Abuja

 

There was massive turnout of members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers at the Area 3 District of Abuja on Tuesday as the Federal Government/NURTW took the compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion initiative campaign to the nation’s capital.

This came after similar events had been held in Kaduna State for members of the union from the North-West zone and in Lagos for the South-West zone of the country.

Under the initiative, the FG in collaboration with the union plans to develop a conversion incentive for Nigerians, especially road operators to convert their existing petrol)diesel vehicles to run on CNG, which is cheaper and will ultimately reduce operation cost as well as transport fare.

To achieve this, the FG has asked the NURTW to mobilize all its members in all the 36 states.

In his keynote address at the Abuja launch, Engr. Mike Oluwagbemi, the programme director, said the event was to fulfill the promise by the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that he would provide solutions to the problems of high fuel cost, hence this initiative by the Federal Government.

He said the government had made provisions to ensure adequate availability of the CNG for Nigerians, especially transport operators, adding that over one million vehicles belonging to members of the union would be converted free of charge.

Speaking at the event, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, chairman Board of Trustees of the NURTW, stated that the union keyed into the initiative so that its members throughout the federation would benefit from the scheme.

He commended the Federal Government for partnering with the union on the project, stating that the NURTW would continue to mobilize its members to fully embrace the CNG scheme.

According to him, it is not only cheap, it is sufficiently available in the country and would reduce the cost of transportation.

Besides, Yasin said transport operators would make more money through the initiative.

Under the scheme, the FG is to provide 250,000 free conversion kits to recognised transport unions annually, all aimed at reducing transport cost for the masses.

In his own address, Acting President of the union Alhaji Aliyu Issa Ore commended the Federal Government for coming up with the initiative and adequately involving the NURTW.

He also said the the programme would go a long way to beat down the cost of transportation in the country.

He enjoined Nigerians to keep hope alive as the present administration under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has good programmes and policies to transform the lives of the people.

Other dignitaries at the event included Comrade Uwem James, the national financial secretary of the union; Alhaji Sanusi Tatimu, deputy general secretary; Mrs Adedamola Oyebode, the head of finance; Mrs Asabe Dogo, and all the state chairmen in the North-Central zone (Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger states and FCT)

The Abuja campaign is to create adequate awareness among transport operators in the North Central zone of the country.