To Boost Local Manufacturing, FG Buys Fleet of CNG Buses from Jet Motor Company

Bennett  Oghifo

In continuation of efforts to provide affordable and comfortable transport solution for Nigerians, the federal government on Wednesday received over 60 hybrid Jet Mover buses from Jet Motor Company, an indigenous car manufacturing company.

The hybrid Jet Mover runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly called petrol.

The vehicles were handed over to a team made up of officials from the Federal Ministry of Finance and representatives of the Presidential Initiative for Compressed Natural Gas (P-CNGi) during a brief ceremony at the company’s plant in Ajah area of Lagos State.

Speaking at the event, Dimas Hamidu, the Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance acknowledged the good quality of the Jet Mover vehicles, and commended the company for its good work.

He said the hybrid vehicles were a testimony to the commitment of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu administration to alleviate the hardships that may have been brought on with the removal of fuel subsidy.

According to him, the vehicles will go a long way in helping to solve the transportation needs of the citizens, and help to cushion the impact of rising costs in the economy.

“I’m happy with what I’ve seen here. This will go a long way in alleviating the pains and sufferings of the people with the removal of fuel subsidy.”

Hamidu recalled, “I was here earlier with the Honorable minister of finance, and we were taken round the plant. The minister even drove one of the vehicles, and he was very impressed.”

He also noted that the federal government had awarded contracts of the CNG vehicles to different companies to deliver a different number of units.

“Nigerians were becoming agitated, and asking why they were not seeing these vehicles on the road. This is why the ministry of finance decided to have a tour of the factories, and their facilities to see how soon they can deliver. We are impressed with Jet Motor for sticking to the terms of the contract, and the vehicles are in accordance with specification.

“And, we hope that very soon they will invite us again to take delivery of more of these vehicles that the president can use to alleviate the transportation challenges of the country.”

Also speaking at the event, Derek Ewelukwa, managing director of Jet Motor Company thanked the team for the opportunity to contribute in the delivery of an efficient and comfortable transport model to the citizens of the country.

He explained that each of the hybrid vehicles had two CNG tanks with a combined capacity of 220 liters of gas and capable of doing 300 kilometres, and a petrol tank with capacity for 80 litres.

According to him, the CNG tanks have a lifespan of 15 years, and the engine switches from gas to petrol and back seamlessly.

Other members of the team from the Finance ministry included, Balarabe Tukui, representing the director, Finance and Account; Okeke Osita Gabriel, also a Technical Assistant to the Minister of Finance and Mr Suleman, representing the Director, Legal Services, while Oluwole Akinwunmi represented the Pi-CNG.