News
Mass transit: Zulum launches 610 taxis, tricycles, buses in Maiduguri, N50 million to 1,000 ‘keke’ operators
Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has launched 610 taxis, tricycles and buses to enhance urban mass transportation in Maiduguri and parts of Jere and Konduga Local Government Areas which fall under the metropolis.
Zulum arrived Maiduguri after his presidential press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, and drove from
the airport to Ramat Square in Maiduguri, where he launched 610 means of transportation which combine 100 Toyota LE cars for city taxis, 500 tricycles popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEP’ and 10 Ashok Leyland buses each with capacity for 41 passengers.
While the 10 buses were left under the custody of Borno Express Transport Corporation for intracity services, the 500 tricycles were allocated to 2000 operators with each tricycle owned by a group of four unemployed persons. The 100 taxis were also allocated to 200 persons with each to be owned by two, making a total of 2,200, the number of persons who benefited from the tricycles and taxis.
Modalities for the distribution were arrived at after Governor Zulum held meetings with leaders of different associations of Keke NAPEP operators who informed the governor that some of their members form groups to own tricycles and they have their ways of jointly managing them and sharing profits.
Before Zulum’s launch, the State Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Abubakar Tijjani, assured the governor of effective and efficient supervision to ensure functional deployment to routes in line with the governor’s goal of increasing access to mass transport in the metropolis.
On security integrated into the tricycles and taxis, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Bexil Computers & Communications, Yusuf
Hayatuddeen, said each of the 500 tricycles has digital stickers from which passengers can use smart phones to access essential data of all operators. He also explained that with the stickers, movements of the tricycles will be tracked to ensure each operator only operates within communities they are expected to serve.
Aside the 2,200 persons allocated the tricycles and taxis, Governor Zulum also granted N50m to 1000 members of different Keke NAPEP operators who did not benefit from the launch given the fact that the associations have thousands of members, some of whom either own tricycles or work as riders and spare-riders.
The 1,000 persons was to each receive N50,000 as social support.
A total of 3,200 youths benefitted from the distribution of the tricycles, taxis and grant.
Another explosion has rocked the Soku oil
facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Sunday’s fire is the second in a week after an explosion hit the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, thus raising concerns of sabotage.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a prominent grassroots NGO active across the Niger Delta, confirmed the incident on Sunday, March 23.
In a statement signed by Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, its executive director, YEAC disclosed that its youth volunteers reported an early morning explosion accompanied by fireballs at the facility, which is operated by Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited.
“An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to reach. The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” Fyneface stated.
The cause of fire at the gas station in Toru LGA was not yet clear at the time of the press, but speculations about equipment failure to sabotage or even deliberate attack was rife.
It marks the third explosion at oil facilities in Rivers State within a week, intensifying concerns over the state’s oil infrastructure.
The first explosion occurred in Ogoni, while the second took place in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. The latter incident was referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast on March 18, during which he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.
In response to the escalating security challenges, President Tinubu took decisive action by suspending the Rivers State House of Assembly, Deputy Governor, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The move followed allegations that the governor failed to protect the state’s critical oil infrastructure.
Tensions have further heightened following a viral video in which some youths issued warnings against the governor’s impeachment.
The recent string of explosions has raised alarm among stakeholders in the Niger Delta, a region already grappling with environmental degradation and security issues tied to oil production. With fires still raging at the Soku facility, calls for an urgent investigation and enhanced security measures around oil infrastructure have grown louder.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, over the passing of his mother, Hajiya Safarau Umar Baribari.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Dr. Ganduje described Hajiya Safarau’s death as a profound loss that has left a deep void in the hearts of her family, friends, and the people of Katsina State.
Extending his sympathies, the APC National Chairman condoled with Governor Radda, the bereaved family, and the entire people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
He acknowledged the remarkable contributions of the late Hajiya Safarau and prayed for Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant her eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus while strengthening the family to bear this irreplaceable loss.
Dr. Ganduje urged Governor Radda and others affected to find comfort in the cherished memories and enduring legacy of the deceased.
Reaffirming the APC’s support, the former Kano State governor assured the people of Katsina State of the party’s solidarity in their time of grief and prayed that Allah (SWT) grant the departed soul Al-Jannah Firdaus. Ameen.
The wife of Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), Hajia Aishat has offered cash and food items worth millions of naira to widows and vulnerable women across Dekina local government Councils, promises to take similar gesture across the nine local government in Kogi East.
The exercise which was tagged: “Widows Empowerment”, saw the Senator’s wife distributing cash and food items to cushion the effect of Ramadan.
Items distributed are bags of rice bags of salt, cartons of seasoning, maggi etc, which were evenly distributed to widows and vulnerable women across party lines.
A beneficiary who spoke with our correspondent at Odu in Dekina Local Government Council, Hon Fitumi thanked Hajia for her continuous effort in coming through for widows and vulnerable regularly.
She acknowledged similar gesture by Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), a fortnight ago at Ankpa when youths in their numbers from three Local Government Areas were trained in Agriculture and empowered, stressing that people are now living testimony to the effort of the lawmaker.
“”We are aware of several intervention projects, empowerment and developmental projects of Senator Echocho and we are not surprised seeing Hajia toeing the similar path.
“The distribution of food items and cash today is not only a rekindling of hope to the beneficiaries, but an encouragement that despite their condition, they were not forgotten.
Hajia Labran, and other APC Women leaders who spoke on behalf of women, applauded Hajia Aisha Echocho and pray Allah to strengthen her to carry on, urged others to emulate her sustainable initiatives.
The women advised other political office holders to emulate what is good and just, which they believed would strengthen the party.
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