JOEL OLADELE, Abuja
In a move lauded as a testament to his commitment to the welfare of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved a six-month period of free rides on the Abuja metro line. This decision, according to the Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG), is a confirmation of his unwavering pro-people mindset.
In a joint statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, on Fridyay, TMSG noted that it was a way of showing that the President understood the challenges faced by Nigerians, particularly in the wake of the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates.
TMSG referenced President Tinubu’s earlier acknowledgment of the economic hardships experienced by many Nigerians and his promise to implement measures to alleviate their burden.
The statement partly read: ” When President Bola Tinubu addressed the nation in a national broadcast two months into his administration, he was empathic that he understood the hardship many Nigerians were going through in the aftermath of the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange rates.
“He also promised to take steps ‘in the immediate to reduce the burden our current economic situation has imposed on all of us, most especially on businesses, the working class, and the ordinary Nigerians
“This, in our view, has partly manifested in President Tinubu’s recent approval of free ride on the Abuja metro line for six months with effect from June to December just like the introduction of students loans, a consumer credit scheme, a more robust and expansive social welfare programme as well as grants to small businesses and the disbursement of N75 billion to MSMEs amongst others,”
The group emphasized the potential impact of this decision on residents of satellite towns, predicting a significant reduction in transportation burdens and increased usage of the metro rail system. They also highlighted positive feedback from both local and international media regarding the initial week of operation, indicating widespread approval of President Tinubu’s gesture.
“To better understand the implication of this Presidential directive, we invite Nigerians to note that two lines, Lot 1A from Idu to Gbazango and Lot 3 from the Metro station in the city centre to the Abuja Airport will operate two trains each simultaneously every day and move a total daily passenger count of 39,200 and 980,000 commuters in 25 operational days in a month.
“So what this means is that for six months, the Abuja light rail will be expected to move a cumulative passenger count of 5,880,000 commuters free on the two lines that transcend the city centre and about 12 satellite towns on the Idu-Gbazango Kubwa axis of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“We make bold to say that this will go a long way to reduce the transportation burden of residents of those satellite towns as well as encourage greater use of the Abuja metro rail system.
“And for us, the feedback we are getting from the local and international media on the first week of operation of the light rail has been encouraging. It shows that President Tinubu’s gesture is well received judging by the adulation from many commuters.
“We are aware that the Abuja light rail which was first commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 was partly funded by loans from the Export-Import Bank of China, which provided 60% of the funds but we also know that the President’s free-ride decision for six months is one sure way of fulfilling part of his vow to lessen the burden of high cost of living.
So President Tinubu has demonstrated a readiness to prioritize the welfare of the citizenry over and above revenue inflow from a commercial train operation at least for the next six months.” The statement further read.
TMSG added that the president, being characteristically generous, will continue to be guided by the public good in his daily decision-making.
