Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has banned members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) from purchasing petrol-dependent vehicles with immediate effect, mandating the use of alternatives.
To this end, the President has also directed the mandatory procurement of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG-powered vehicles) by all government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement said that the directive was in line with Mr Tinubu’s commitment to ensure energy security, drive utility, and cut high fuel costs.
Mr Ngelale quoted President Tinubu as vowing not to turn back on the energy reforms initiated by his administration while addressing members of the Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
“The President’s directive is also in furtherance of Nigeria’s effort to transition to cleaner energy as CNG-enabled vehicles have been adjudged to produce lower emissions, even as they present a more affordable alternative for Nigerian energy consumers.
“This nation will not progress forward if we continue to dance on the same spot. We have the will to drive the implementation of CNG adoption across the country, and we must set the example as public officials in leading the way to that prosperous future that we are working to achieve for our people. It starts with us, and in seeing that we are serious, Nigerians will follow our lead,” the President stated.
“The President further directed the rejection of all memos brought by members of FEC seeking the purchase of traditional petrol-dependent vehicles, tasking the affected members of the council to go back and diligently seek value-driven procurements of CNG-compliant vehicles.
“The President remains committed to effectively harnessing the nation’s gas potential, alleviating the burden of high transportation costs on the masses while enhancing the standard of living of all Nigerians,” the statement further quoted him as saying.
