State transport company appeals for new vehicles
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has promised to provide free transportation for public schools’ pupils in the state, in its bid to increase enrolment and cushion the effect of subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

This followed the removal of petrol subsidy and consequent hike of about 300 per cent in the pump price at filling stations across the country.

The Governor explained that free transportation for the children at the basic level of education would encourage enrolment in public schools.

However, parents and guardians, especially in Minna and environs, described the Bago administration’s plan to provide free transportation for pupils in public schools as a relief to many families, who have withdrawn their wards from school due to high transport fare.

The Guardian checks in Minna and environs revealed that subsidy removal on petroleum products forced many pupils to abandon school.

A section of students that spoke to The Guardian in confidence hinted that before the price hike, daily transport fare to and from to their schools within Minna cost from N80 to N150, but immediately President Bola Tinubu announced the end of subsidy on May 29, 2023, transport fare skyrocketed to N200, N300 and N600.

In a related development, Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA), the state-owned transport company, has decried the deteriorating state of its vehicles plying intra-state and inter-state routes.

It called for intervention of authorities to enable it give free transportation to pupils in public primary and secondary schools across the state.

An insider, who spoke to The Guardian under anonymity, revealed that Bago’s policy statement on free transport for pupils might not see the light of day because a good number of NSTA vehicles were grounded. The source canvassed urgent intervention to enable the organisation get back on its feet and provide affordable means of transport to school children and other citizens travelling within and outside the state.

According to the source, the company has only six functional vehicles, as the vehicles procured by the immediate past administration did not serve the purpose for which they were purchased.

“Before the purchase, the organisation had proposed Hummer buses to the government, but the government bought us Chinese buses, which did not last long, due to unavailability of spare parts,” the source revealed.

It appealed to Bago’s administration to help the company with new vehicles.

“The governor is a listening leader; therefore, I use this opportunity to appeal to him to support NSTA with brand new buses, to enable us bounce back to normal services,” he added.