President Bola Tinubu ,on Monday, in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, commissioned a fleet of 107 gas and electric-powered buses as well as taxis in the second phase of Governor Babagana Zulum’s metro transport scheme.
The scheme is aimed at cushioning the effects of the petrol subsidy removal on the citizens.
The commissioning ceremony took place around the Shehu of Borno’s Palace. But before the event, President Tinubu, accompanied by Governor Zulum, paid homage to the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Garbai Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Elkanemi.
President Tinubu was in Maiduguri for this year’s Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference while he took time to commission Zulum’s vehicles after visiting the Shehu.
In his remarks at the commissioning, Governor Zulum said, “Mr President, after you announced the subsidy removal and your consequent directive to the governors to provide immediate palliative, in Borno State, we decided to invest massively in a mass transit scheme.”
Each of the 107 vehicles was converted to use electricity and gas to enable low-cost energy sources and provide cheap transportation for citizens most of whom are recovering from the destruction caused by the over one decade of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The new fleet of buses comprised 35 units of 30-seater gas-powered coaster buses, 12 units of 15-seater gas-powered Hummer buses, 10 units of 50-seater gas-powered mass transit buses and 50 units of four-seater electric-powered taxi vehicles.
Borno State had procured 120 buses out of which Governor Zulum, in September, launched a fleet of 77 buses which were dispatched to over 15 routes within the metropolis and Jere Local Government Areas.
The governor’s transport scheme immediately crashed prices of transportation across Maiduguri while private transport means such as Keke NAPEP charge about N150 per route just as Zulum’s buses charge N50.
After commissioning the 107 vehicles, Tinubu commended Governor Zulum for providing good governance to the people.
He said, “Your Excellency (Governor Zulum)… this is exactly ‘Hope Renewed’. Thank you for your good job always. Thank you, once again, for being innovative and creative, for your concern about your people and the good governance you provide”.
The President added: “We are going to take advantage of your foresight and proactiveness to the sub-national level and be able to start assembly plants and add more value to the economy and bring economic prosperity to our people. You (Zulum) are doing a good job, thank you very much.”
