By Cross Udo, Abuja
The founding Director-General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, has urged the 36 state governors to respond quickly to the severe hardship caused by the federal government’s removal of fuel subsidy.

Onaiwu said the state government can no longer rely on monthly allocations.

In a statement he issued yesterday in Abuja, he said, “The most logical next step is for state governors to deploy at least 200 buses to alleviate the exorbitant cost of daily transportation commuters’ encounter inside the state.

“While bus service will not be free, the return to the previous cost of transportation before the President announced the withdrawal of subsidies will go a long way toward alleviating the pain of the masses.”

Onaiwu told the governors to collaborate with over six indigenous vehicle manufacturing companies as well as their foreign counterparts in Nigeria to achieve this goal, noting that public transit can be fuelled by gasoline, diesel, or electricity.

According to him, “Indeed, renewable energy-powered transportation will open up new economic opportunities. Nigeria would thereby become a significant participant in cleaner energy research, transportation, and supporting infrastructure such as repair centres and charging stations.

“We need to take some burdens off people’s shoulders, and we can do so by providing cheaper mass transit. Each state may expect to deploy at least 200 buses in the next two years.

“It is more strategic and makes more economic sense than government giveaways disguised as cash transfers.”

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He said that the intervention of the state government has become necessary and that if they act as advised, the confidence deficit between the populace and their leaders would be reduced.

“Look, state governors should not wait for street protests before taking necessary action,” he said.