*Citizens say his statements pure deception
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu on Wednesday approved a 50 per cent slash in price of interstate transport fare for Nigerians traveling during the yuletide from Thursday, December 21, 2023 to January 4, 2024.
This is as the President approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period.
But, reacting, a cross section of Nigerians lampoon’s him for engaging in sophistry and deception when he lacks powers to compel anybody who purchased fuel at exorbitant price to slash his or her fare.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, announced this to State House Correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa on Wednesday.
Alake said: “It is in this wise that the President is announcing through us that beginning from tomorrow, December 21, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via mini buses, luxury buses at 50 per cent discount of current cost and all our train services on the route the trains currently serve at zero cost on their travels this holiday season.
“This special presidential intervention will commence tomorrow, Thursday, December 21 and it will end on January 4, 2024.
“The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Transportation, will be working with transporters, road transport unions, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, to seamlessly deliver on this special presidential initiative.”
“I can tell you that all the relevant stakeholders in that industry have been discussed with or been engaged and all the parameters laid out and the Minister of Transportation has the full details and it’s on top of the game.
“In fact, the Presidents of the various transport unions have been met and everything is in top shape in terms of execution.”
However, Alake said air iravel was excluded from the initiative because the initiative is targeted at the masses.
“The initiative is for the masses. Air is luxury. The masses don’t use air transport. So they are our main target,” he explained.
However, reacting, Chief Nnaedozie Okeke, a top civil servant in Abuja, advised Tinubu and Alake to look for another way of diverting peoples’ minds away from the current hardships, than saying what he can’t implement.
Alhaji Nuhu Zango, a business man accused Tinubu of continuously saying what he can’t implement.
He cited the issue of wage award to civil servants, provision of CNG and alternative buses for mass transit, take off of Dangote refinery, etc as examples of the several promises not fulfilled.
Asabe Ibrahim, a trader, noted that what is painful is that the president since he was sworn in never saw anything he promised to the masses implemented except increasing hardships.
Joseph Dan, a union leader, advised the president to focus his attention on quickly restoring the battered economy, stressing that if he does that, market forces will bring down prices.
Idowu Makinde, a consultant, noted that presidential aides should avoid dishing out patently falsehood to members of the public, thinking everybody is dumb.
Other respondents feel the opposition political parties and citizens are so laid back that they are not putting politicians on their toes.
