From Yakubu Mustapha Minna
Residents of Niger state have decried the inability of CNG buses procured by the state government to function effectively.
Many said the allegedly refurbished buses broke down three months after they were commissioned by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago.
It was reliably gathered that on the day those vehicles were moved to the trade fair complex for the official flag off, one of them broke down immediately after Barkin Sale bridge to Morris junction.
Some residents explained that most of those procured branded Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses by the Niger state government are not road worthy.
Some commercial drivers; Awwal Musa, Taye Bayo and Christopher Ajayi in their separate interviews revealed that three of the CNG buses that broke down were sighted along Minna – Suleja road and many others on the other routes across the state, describing the development as most unfortunate and waste of public funds.
Our reporter further gathered that last Thursday, one of the returning luxurious buses from Suleja was sighted on top of Chanchaga bridge struggling to cross to Minna.
A residents Usman B. Alhassan called on the Niger state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago to set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the processes of procurement, the amount involved and condition of the vehicles.
Responding, the State Commissioner, Ministry for Transportation, Hajiya Hadizah Idris Kuta refuted the allegations, saying that the problem was not mechanical but gas linkage which is under control.
She added that contractors are being expected to invest in the state to ensure gas is provided accordingly.
