The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PCNGI) has removed one of its key conversion partners, Charles Goriola Yakub of C & L Smart Energy Limited, over what it described as confirmed misconduct involving the illegal sale of government-supplied CNG conversion kits.
This was revealed in a statement released on Sunday by Kenechukwu Chukwu, the Technical Adviser on Stakeholder Management and Public Engagement at PCNGI. The company, based in Lokogoma, Abuja, was accused of selling conversion kits that were meant to be installed free of charge for commercial vehicle owners. According to the statement, the kits were sold for between N200,000 and N1.2 million, depending on the customer.
The conversion kits in question are part of the federal government’s effort to shift Nigeria’s public transport system from petrol and diesel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a cleaner and cheaper energy alternative. The programme is one of the major components of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to reduce fuel costs, ease transport pressure, and support economic sustainability.
PCNGI said that C & L Smart Energy Limited was initially part of the CNG Conversion Incentive Programme until December 2024, when it was suspended after several complaints were received from vehicle owners. According to the initiative, an internal investigation backed by video evidence and written documents confirmed that the operator not only sold the kits illegally but also damaged some of the vehicles during installation.
The agency stated that many commercial drivers came forward with complaints about being charged large sums for a service that should have been free. Some also reported that their vehicles developed faults due to poor installation work carried out at the conversion centre.
Following the findings, PCNGI said it has referred the case to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
In a twist, PCNGI said that after being delisted, Charles Goriola Yakub allegedly started a coordinated online campaign against the initiative using a group called the Independent Conversion Sector. PCNGI described this as a “sponsored smear attack” meant to tarnish the image of the programme and distract the public from the actual wrongdoing.
The organisation also warned that legal steps were being taken to address what it called “electronic blackmail and cyberbullying” by the disgruntled operator and his supporters. PCNGI added that those behind the false claims would be made to defend their statements in court.
PCNGI stressed that it does not directly handle procurement or award of contracts, as it only plays a supporting role in collaboration with other government agencies. Its core responsibility, the statement said, is to promote and facilitate the transition to cleaner and cheaper energy sources for transportation in Nigeria.
The agency urged the public and media to avoid distractions from individuals trying to mislead Nigerians. It also reassured Nigerians of its continued commitment to providing clean and affordable transport options powered by CNG and electric vehicles (EVs).
