The National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NATOMORAS) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to keep their promise of providing 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tricycles to members of the association. The group warned that failure to fulfil this promise may lead to a nationwide peaceful protest by millions of its members across the country.
During a press conference held in Abuja, the National President of NATOMORAS, Alhaji Usman Gwoza, expressed deep frustration over what he described as the continued silence and neglect by the federal government. He said their members, who are commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders, feel abandoned despite their full support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 presidential election.
Gwoza, speaking on behalf of over 18 million registered members nationwide, reminded the public that NATOMORAS played a key role in mobilising grassroots support for President Tinubu and the APC. According to him, they backed the party without demanding or receiving any payment.
He recalled how NATOMORAS members travelled from all parts of Nigeria to attend the APC presidential campaign flag-off in Plateau State in April 2022. “Our members came from every corner of this country to support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. We stood firm for APC, we used our tricycles and motorcycles to mobilise votes at polling units, wards, local government areas and states. We did it because we believed in the vision of this government,” he said.
Gwoza said their massive mobilisation led to the creation of the Directorate of Community Transport (Keke and Okada), where he was appointed National Director. He said NATOMORAS was the only national association of tricycle and motorcycle riders that openly declared support for Tinubu and Shettima.
He narrated a tragic incident where thousands of their members were mobilised to welcome President Tinubu at the airport. He said, “They told me to mobilise my people to the airport. I instructed my Plateau State Chairman to arrange 3,000 motorcycles and 2,000 tricycles, which we did. That day, some of our members were injured, some lost their property, and a few even lost their lives due to the excitement and jubilation.”
Despite these sacrifices, Gwoza said the government has not followed up on the promises made to NATOMORAS. He mentioned that on October 1, 2024, the Minister announced that 2,000 CNG tricycles had been handed over to the association, but as of now, nothing has been delivered.
He said several letters have been written to both the President and the Vice President, seeking an audience to discuss the promises, but there has been no response. “I have written more than ten times to both President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima. Till today, no reply,” he said.
Gwoza questioned why the government has ignored a group that controls millions of voters and active contributors to the transport economy. He stressed that their members are not asking for favours but only for the promises to be fulfilled.
He said their expectations included federal appointments, support for the directorate, and empowerment of members through provision of tricycles. He also mentioned that NATOMORAS sponsored its participation in stakeholder meetings organised by the Presidential Initiative on CNG (PiCNG) in May 2024 across Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ekiti, and Kaduna. He said all the invitation letters were signed by the PiCNG Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi.
Despite their efforts, Gwoza said the government’s silence has affected the trust and morale of their members. “Millions of young Nigerians and poor families who voted for APC based on our grassroots campaign now find it hard to believe in us again. They feel used and dumped,” he said.
He called on the President and the Vice President to remember their campaign promises and fulfil them. “President Tinubu, we believed in you. Vice President Shettima, you stood before us and made a vow. We are not asking for too much. Just keep your word.”
He ended by saying NATOMORAS members are peaceful people who only want what was promised. “We are not thugs or troublemakers. We are riders, fathers, mothers, hustlers. We have waited long enough. The time to act is now.”
