(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DSC_00032-300x199.jpg) The Zamfara State Government has purchased 14,788 motorcycles in addition to vehicles and bulldozers which it says will be distributed to youths and other people of the State to eradicate poverty.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Muhammad Muttaka Rini who briefed members of the National Good Governance Tour at Cotonou Shehi during an inspection of the vehicles said "Like you know, this is a Sharia State and among the dividends of Sharia is to empower the youths and the entire people of the State to be self-reliant. Sharia does not permit one to beg from one place to another".
He told the Team that the Governor therefore purchased the motorcycles for distribution to the youths and entire population of Zamfara State as welfare packages on loan basis.
"These motorcycles are purchased at the rate of 110,000 naira each. The market price of each is about 120,000 so the purchase is quite Transparent", the Commissioner stated.
Also to be distributed are Golf brand vehicles. The Governor was said to have distributed a number of vehicles last year and decided to redouble the effort this year. "Last year 700 vehicles were distributed but and this year 1,200 vehicles have been purchased for distribution to the youths and entire populace of Zamfara State", Rini informed.
Shedding more light on the intervention, Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar said all the welfare items purchased would be distributed at a subsidized rate of 50 percent of the original cost of purchase and the repayment period spread over 2 to 3years.(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DSC_00251-300x199.jpg) (http://fmi.gov.ng/nggt-zamfara-govt-empowers-youths-with-14788-subsidized-motorbikes-1200-cars-others/dsc_0025-2/)
"Last year we had over 8,000 motorbikes and we redoubled the effort. As I told you the population of Zamfara State is over 3.7million and all over the nooks and crannies of Zamfara State, transportation is very difficult that is why we embarked on this venture.
"Some of them are collaborating with the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers. If you carefully observed, at the Government House there are new buses. Those new buses are going to be given to the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers which we did last year and are repeating again to support the Union because they are organised and have being repaying that of last year", Governor Abubakar stated.
The Governor further informed the Team that the bulldozers on display during the inspection were purchased to empower Local Government Areas to embark on rural road construction in a bid to improve services in local government areas.
In his remarks, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku appreciated the Zamfara State Governor for his intervention towards providing jobs for the youths and reducing the rate of poverty.
Maku said "These are things that governments must do to make people self-reliant. It is quite an extensive provision that you have made",
He called on the beneficiaries to make the best of the opportunities, urging them also to payback as required so that the next set of people could also benefit from the exercise.
On the issue of safety, the Information Minister called for proper training especially for the motorcycle operators.
"They should go through the normal processes of VIO checks, road safety checks and they should be certified to have been trained. If you don't have this then you find out like in many parts of the country people with broken limbs because people are driving roughly and do not appreciate the need for safety and it is worse with motorcycles because it is on two wheels and so the rate of accident is higher than in motor vehicles.
"So I will call on the youths to make sure that they have the discipline to use them because if you go and crash your motorcycle, in addition to endangering lives of people it means you can't payback. This is good your Excellency", Maku stated.
Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria