The National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NATOMORAS) has raised alarm over the alleged diversion of 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tricycles, which they claim were promised to them by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 election campaign.
The association alleged that the tricycles, meant to support low-income transport workers as part of the Presidential CNG Initiative, are now being diverted to private companies, who are allegedly selling them to NATOMORAS members at inflated prices.
Usman Gwoza, National President of NATOMORAS, said in an interview that the presidential campaign team had made a public commitment to allocate 2,000 CNG tricycles to the union. He described the current situation as a betrayal of trust and a violation of the campaign promise, urging the Federal Government to launch an immediate investigation.
According to Gwoza, instead of distributing the tricycles to union members as earlier agreed, the Presidential CNG Initiative, led by Programme Director and CEO Michael Oluwagbemi, has allegedly handed over the tricycles to private companies who are now selling them on hire purchase terms at ₦2.5 million per unit, while the end-users are paying up to ₦3.5 million per unit.
Gwoza said, “They are selling what was supposed to be a support scheme. The tricycles were meant for NATOMORAS members, but they are now in the hands of companies selling them at high prices. This is not what the president promised.”
In a swift reaction, Michael Oluwagbemi denied the existence of any such commitment from the president. He challenged Gwoza to provide written or video evidence that the president ever made such a pledge.
“Where is the written agreement between him and the president? Show us the document or video. The president never promised this. Even if he did, which he didn’t, it would be on record,” Oluwagbemi said.
He further dismissed Gwoza’s allegations as baseless and said the CNG programme was open and transparent. “There is no presidential directive stating that 2,000 CNG tricycles must go to NATOMORAS,” he added.
But Gwoza insists the promise was made publicly and backed by documents. He referenced a speech delivered on October 1, in which he claimed the president confirmed the allocation of the 2,000 tricycles to the union. He also mentioned letters signed by campaign officials inviting NATOMORAS to meetings in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna, as part of the distribution planning process.
“On our 2022 declaration day, the Vice President came to represent the President. The current Minister of Agriculture was there too. He was APC’s Deputy National Chairman at the time. We were recognised and given a directorate called the Directorate of Community Transport under the Presidential Campaign Council. We have letters signed by the PCC to confirm this,” Gwoza said.
He also accused the CNG Initiative of favouring other transport unions such as the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), while sidelining NATOMORAS.
“It seems like Oluwagbemi believes we are not important enough. But we were part of the campaign structure. Why are we being ignored now?” Gwoza queried.
The NATOMORAS president demanded transparency in the disbursement of CNG vehicles and asked the government to investigate those who have already taken delivery of the tricycles.
“Some of our members were made to buy these tricycles for ₦2.5 million each. I know people who collected over 100 units at that rate. Meanwhile, these beneficiaries are not even NATOMORAS members. So who are these people, and how were they selected?” he asked.
He warned that if the issue is not addressed, it could lead to distrust between grassroots transport operators and the current administration. “We are calling on President Tinubu to look into this issue and deliver on the promises made to the tricycle and motorcycle operators,” he added.
Gwoza’s remarks raise fresh questions about the implementation of Nigeria’s CNG programme, which the Federal Government has touted as a major solution to the rising cost of transportation following the removal of fuel subsidy. The plan includes the distribution of thousands of CNG-powered vehicles and the construction of refuelling stations across the country.
The Presidential CNG Initiative has maintained that the scheme is open to all qualified operators and that proper procedures must be followed to benefit. But NATOMORAS believes that their members, who serve the informal transportation sector and low-income earners, should have been top priority under the scheme.
