Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has flagged off the distribution of Tricycles and Motorcycles to 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
The Tricycles and motorcycles numbering 500 and 1,000 respectively were purchased by the State Government to create job opportunities and enhance intra-city transportation.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Aliyu said the vehicles were purchased in consideration of the fact that Sokoto is becoming densely populated with new settlements being emerged.
According to him, the situation is making intra-city transportation difficult among the residents especially women due to the scarcity of tricycles and motorcycles in the metropolitan areas.
He said the Government has made huge investments in the purchase of the vehicles and would be sold at a subsidised rate.
This he said would enable the beneficiaries to reap maximum benefit from them.
Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu however said beneficiaries must abide by the laid down conditions governing possession of the vehicles
He reminded them that days are gone when people would collect such vehicles purchased with taxpayers’ money and later sold at give away price
The Governor who was represented by his Deputy Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir warned that the Government would deal decisively with anyone found violating the laid down conditions.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Distribution of the vehicles Ambassador Sahabi Isah Gada said each tricycle would be sold at 1,000,000 as against the market price of N3.6 million while a motorcycle would be given to the beneficiaries at the cost of N300,000 as against the market price of 1.5 million naira.
He said each beneficiary of a tricycle must deposit 150,000 naira and 50,000 naira for a motorcycle.
Similarly, every tricycle and motorcycle beneficiary would be paying N15,000 and N10,000 respectively as monthly remittances.
Ambassador Sahabi Isah Gada who decried the way some beneficiaries of Rice being sold to people at affordable rates were abusing the programme, warned that his committee has mapped out strategies to avoid that.
He said legal experts were involved in the drafting of the rules and regulations governing the sales of the vehicles.
The Chairman insisted that only people who satisfied the laid down conditions would be entitled to the vehicles
In a goodwill message, Sultan Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar the third applauded the Governor for his foresight in that direction.
The Sultan who was represented by the Magajin Rafin Sokoto Alhaji Rilwanu Bello enjoined the beneficiaries to make judicious utilisation of the vehicles.
In a welcome address, the state commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Social Welfare Hajiya Assabe Balarabe reiterated the State Government’s commitment to introducing programmes aimed at improving the lots of the people.
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