Niger Commissioner: Why Our CNG Buses Are Not Running
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Niger State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hajia Binta Mammam, has given reasons why the Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses purchased by the state government are not running.
Niger State has a total of 250 CNG buses out which it initially commissioned 200 before receiving another 50.
Hajia Binta Mammam also debunked claims that some of the buses now parked at the trade fair complex in Minna have been vandalized.
Answering questions from news men on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held at the government house, the Commissioner blamed the inability of the CNG Buses to operate on lack of gas.
According to her the state planned to set up three gas plants at Suleja, Lambatta and Minna but the plants are yet to start functioning.
She added that the nearest gas station to Minna is Abuja which she said is not economically wise to drive the buses there to purchase gas.
She however said that government is doing everything possible to put the buses on the road for the benefit of the people adding that it was a nice decision that the administration bought the vehicles in the first instance saying that the buses are intact nobody has vandalized any of them.
“Many states that want to buy these buses cannot do so now because of their high prices” Binta Mammam declared.
She also disclosed that the state government has tackled the security problem initially facing the state.
“Niger State has tackled the issue of insecurity that is why people can now go to their farms” Mammam declared before submitting that government should be commended for the steps taken to restore peace in several parts of the state.
On education, the commissioner disclosed that government has spent N1.3billion on the procurement of 22,400 furniture to be distributed to all the schools in the state.
According to her the furniture have special features with each having a locker and ability to sit three students at a time.
Binta Mammam also revealed the state has domesticated the national and UNDP policy which allows nursing mothers to breastfeed their babies for 6 months as against the previous 3 months before returning to work.
She disclosed that former Commissioner for Information, now Director General PPP, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, has been redesignated Special Adviser Media and Publicity and posted to the Ministry of Information.
