From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
Former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, has challenged state governors to urgently comply with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to reduce transportation costs, saying Nigerians should begin to feel the impact of government interventions through cheaper fares.
Tinubu had directed state governments to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, with the objective of delivering measurable reductions in transportation costs to Nigerians. The President said the 36 governors had agreed on the target following their August 27 meeting.
Reacting to the directive, Eradiri said governors should take the initiative seriously and deploy the increased resources available to their states to cushion the effect of high transportation costs.
Eradiri said: “We welcome the President back from his vacation. We can see that he is fit for the task ahead. The President met with the governors and called on them to invest more in reducing the cost of transportation across the country”.
He said the President’s call for states to use the savings from cheaper energy and available resources to reduce transport fares was aimed at ameliorating the hardship being experienced by Nigerians.
“We are appealing to the President to double down on it. Most of these governors have not responded to the President’s directives. Only a few governors are making efforts to bring down transportation costs in their states,” he said.
Eradiri cited Katsina State as an example of a state taking steps to reduce the burden of transportation, noting the launch of CNG buses, electric taxis and other vehicles by the state government.
“What are other governors doing?” he asked, adding governors should not wait for presidential directives before introducing policies capable of reducing transportation costs in their states.
Eradiri, a former governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, said: “The governors, who want the best for their states and the people they govern, shouldn’t have waited on the President to give such directive.
“But now that he gave it because of his interest in the welfare of the people, the governors should be seen doing it with all seriousness and with their full chests. They shouldn’t behave as if they are being compelled or forced to undertake such laudable programme”.
Tinubu had said several states were already recording significant reductions in transport fares through CNG-powered and electric public transport initiatives.
He cited examples including Oyo, where he said CNG buses reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about N8,000 to N3,200 during initial deployment, and Enugu, where the Enugu-Nsukka fare fell from N2,500 to N1,500 following the deployment of CNG buses.
Eradiri, however, said more states needed to follow suit, arguing that lower transportation costs would have a wider effect on the cost of living.
“We expected to see states come alive with the programme to reduce transport cost. But we can’t see it and it is worrisome,” he said.
He questioned how states were deploying the additional funds available to them if they could not deliberately fund programmes aimed at reducing transport fares.
“What are they really doing with these excess funds coming into their states if they cannot diligently and deliberately fund programmes and policies to reduce the cost of transport?” he queried.
According to Eradiri, reducing transportation costs would have a multiplier effect because transportation is a major component of the cost of moving people and goods.
“The President knows that once you bring down the cost of transport, every other cost will come down and the people will begin to have direct impact of subsidy removal,” he said.
He urged governors to complement the Federal Government’s CNG and alternative-energy initiatives by investing more aggressively in mass transit and fare-reduction programmes.
“The governors have received a lot of money and the least they can do is seek ways to reduce the cost of living, especially by heeding the directive of the President to bring down the cost of transport,” Eradiri added.
