Make CNG converter facility available to rural communities, Group urges FG

The Confederation of All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Groups has called on the Federal Government to make compressed natural gas (CNG) converter facilities available and affordable to commercial vehicles in rural communities.

Its Director-General, Prof. Kailani Muhammed, who made the call on Friday at a news conference in Abuja, said the facility, if made available, affordable, and accessible to rural communities, would drastically reduce running costs for commercial vehicles.

Muhammed added that by extension, it would reduce the prices of foodstuffs, goods, and services in the country.

“The initiative for CNG converters, most especially for commercial vehicles, is a good synergy, but one area government should focus on is ensuring availability of the converter facility to rural communities.

“Government should also ensure that the payment model for the converter is flexible so that commercial vehicle owners can easily access it.”

The APC group boss also urged the Federal Government to put in place a national price control mechanism to checkmate the negative inflationary trend in the country.

“Prices of goods and services, most especially foodstuffs, have skyrocketed beyond the reach of the ordinary man. Families are dying of hunger daily.

“Most people cannot afford to pay medical bills anymore. Consequently, the sick are left uncared for until death takes them away. To worsen the inflation crisis, there is no national price control mechanism in the country.

“As a result of this, Nigerians are exposed to uncontrolled market forces by shylock traders, who take advantage of the situation.

“We implore the Nigerian government to, as a matter of urgent attention, put in place a synergy to checkmate this negative trend.”

Muhammed, who is also the National Chairman, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), urged President Bola Tinubu to undertake a holistic overhaul of the entire security architecture in the efforts and desire to rid the nation of insurgency, kidnapping, banditry, crude oil theft, and bunkering.

“The fact is that the government's efforts to stem the tide of insecurity in Nigeria seem not to yield the desired effects because it seems the entire security network is being infiltrated by criminals.

“We advise that the top hierarchy of the Nigerian military should subject its personnel to high-level scrutiny, with the sole aim of identifying bad eggs within and weeding them out,” he said.