The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Friday, praised the Federal Government for considering partnering with some major transport companies to subsidise interstate fares for Nigerians travelling during the Yuletide season through a 50 per cent rebate.
The FG on Wednesday announced a 50 per cent reduction in transportation costs along 22 interstate routes during the festive period.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, who chaired the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Presidential Intervention, made the announcement when he briefed State House correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Spokesperson for the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Segun Falade, also confirmed that the union would commence the implementation of the fare subsidy on Thursday.
Reacting to the development via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Obi thumbed up the intervention intended to help the masses, saying it was the right step in the appropriate direction.
The former Anambra State governor, however, expressed concern that there were no checks and balances to ensure compliance, saying his investigation at major parks across the country showed that the transporters were not following the terms of the contract.
He tweeted: “If fully implemented, as reported, I consider this first-time intervention of the government, intended to help the masses, a step in the right direction.
“However, the major concern about such emergency measures is what follows afterwards. The high cost of transportation and associated hardships are all well known.
“Today, I sent out contacts who consulted widely with the transporters in major parks across the country: in Abuja, they carried out an on-the-spot investigation in Jabi/Utako areas; in Lagos, they visited major parks like Jibowu, Festac, Mile 12, Ajah, and Mazamaza and none of the transporters in these parks was aware of this 50% discount.
“At Upper Iweka, Onitsha, which is the main traffic hub in Anambra, and in other parts of the country like; Kano, Aba, Kaduna, Owerri, and Gombe, the story is the same.”
Continuing, the LP presidential candidate lamented that it was unfortunate that such a lofty initiative could be deliberately hijacked to further worsen the situation of the masses.
He also urged the FG to speak up in the wake of the alleged manipulation to clear the air that its 50 per cent intervention wasn’t just a ‘spin’ to deceive Nigerians.”
FG adds more routes
Meanwhile, the Presidency on Friday confirmed that the Federal Government added two routes to its special discounted holiday season fare on road transports, bringing the total to 30 routes nationwide.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Presidential Intervention, revealed this to Saturday PUNCH, saying the first list of routes was perceived to have favoured only a section of the country, hence the additional routes.
Commuters travelling from Lagos to Akure, the Ondo State capital, and Lagos to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, were added to the 50 per cent fare reduction scheme, which the FG says targets the masses.
The routes are being operated by the National Union of Road Transport Workers from the Oshodi bus terminal in Lagos State.
Saturday PUNCH observed that commuters were now paying the halved fee of N3,250 instead of the regular N6,500 per head.
