Agberen To Oborevwori: Bring Back Delta State Urban Mass Transport Scheme

By Daniel Dafe

Comr.(Amb.) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, National Coordinator,
“No Justice, No Peace Initiative,” has called on the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to bring back the Delta State Urban Mass Transport Scheme scrapped by the Okowa-led administration.

Agberen said this in a statement made available to media houses on Monday.

According to the statement, “the Delta State Urban Mass Transit scheme initiated by the then Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan CON, subsidized by 50% by the Uduaghan administration, completely reduced the cost of transportation and also touched the lives of the people in various communities in the state.”

Continuing, he said: “The Okowa’s administration for reasons best known to him, did not continue the Urban Mass Transit project and in the eyes of the people, the vehicles were seen in different dumped areas, forgetting that governance is a continuous project.”

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He added: “Majority of the buses were air-conditioned with Marco polo buses inclusive.”

Furthermore, he said that “the Delta State Urban Mass Transit scheme would help to regulate prices of transportation among commercial motorists, tricycles and motorcycle riders in the State to a minimum level, as transportation sector plays a crucial role in today’s economy and society by connecting people, traders, businesses, and resources from place to place.”

The rights activist also noted that “it facilitates the movement of goods and people, influencing the economy of a place significantly.”

“Hence, the Governor Sheriff’s led administration should take advantages of recent times and current hardship conditions of the people, to revive, bringing back the urban mass transit project because of its roles and the impacts transportation has on the people.”

Agberen recalled how officials of the Delta State Government in China, ably led by the Commissioner Of Transportation; Hon. Onoriode Agofure, who duly and diligently served as councilor for two consecutive tenures, inspecting vehicles identified to be electric buses in trending pictures.

“It would be insane and out of place for the State Government to take such steps, adopting the usage of electric buses in a country that has never celebrated 30 days of constant power supply, coupled with numerous challenges of the road conditions, since inception of democracy in Nigeria. Adopting electric buses to run in Delta State would incur more expenses on the Government to facilitate the transportation scheme, and also, would create avenues for board members to divert funds in disguise in funding the schemes,” he said.

“The State Government can get good affordable Toyota Hiace Buses, Nigerian made; Innoson High Capacity Buses or better still, Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) buses to boost the Urban Mass Transit scheme. It is expected of the State Government to take critical steps within the limits of the resources available to us, by initiating and implementing policies and programmes to respond to the recent fuel subsidy removal policy by the federal government and put in place, measures to reduce the challenges, sufferings and exorbitant cost of living faced by indigents and residents, therefore, the Delta State Urban Mass Transportation Scheme, is one of those programmes to initiate,” he concluded.