ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Following the ban on commercial motorcycle operation in Bauchi State, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Wednesday flagged off the distribution of 1000 units of tricycles, also known as Keke NAPEP, to ease transportation difficulties in the state.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony of the first phase of 345 units of the tricycles at the Bauchi State Development Board, Governor Mohammed disclosed that N250 million was deposited for the project assuring that the remaining 655 units would be handed over to the benefiaries in good time to ameliorate the suffering caused by the ban on commercial motorcycle operations.
“As you may recall, government has ban the use of achaba in the state for security and health purposes. In the alternative, the government decided to purchase 1,000 units of Keke NAPEP to replace the banned achaba business in the state.
“This project is not a profit making venture to the government but a societal service to the the entire state to ameliorate their difficulties caused by the absence of achaba,” he stated.
The governor said that the achaba ban which was a painful decision to make was not made to cause hardships to the people but to enforce the protocol of the National Center for Disease Control on social distancing.
He said: “The achaba was banned not because we want to criminalize poverty or the ways and means people are putting food on the table. We are very conscious of the poverty in this state and the need to provide some means of subsistence to our people.
“The distribution of these 1,000 units of Keke NAPEP is the beginning of the provision of this essential services to the good people of Bauchi state as it is an interest free loan to the beneficiaries who are to pay the balance in 24 months by installments.”
The Commissioner for Cooperative, Small and Medium Enterprises, Muhammad Sale, in his welcome address said that the gesture would go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of the masses.
He said that for the continous supply of the tricycles, a deal was struck by the state government with ABDK Company based in Kano involving two buisness moguls – Alhaji Ali Garu and Alhaji Nasiru Bababa with Bank guarantee and comfort obtained.
The Commissioner charged the beneficiaries to observe the rules and guidelines laid down for their operations, warning that no beneficiary is allowed to dispose of his KAKE NAPEP or sell it.
Sale said: “It is a loan of N740,000 repayable within three months.Recovery strategy and arrangements have been concluded with Yankari Microfinance Bank to take daily charge of the exercise such that every beneficiary will be depositing N1000 daily unfailingly.”
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