Free train ride in FCT confirms President Tinubu’s pro-people mindset - TMSG

By Mohammed Fitr/ABUJA// The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described the presidential approval of a six-month free ride on the Abuja metro line as a further confirmation of the habitual pro-people attitude of President Bola Tinubu.

TMSG said in a joint statement signed by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo that it was a way of showing that he truly understood what Nigerians were going through since the removal of fuel subsidy.

The statement read: ” When President Bola Tinubu addressed the nation in a national broadcast two months into his administration, he was empathic that he understood the hardship many Nigerians were going through in the aftermath of the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange rates.

“He also promised to take steps ‘in the immediate to reduce the burden our current economic situation has imposed on all of us, most especially on businesses, the working class, and the ordinary Nigerians

“This, in our view, has partly manifested in President Tinubu’s recent approval of free ride on the Abuja metro line for six months with effect from June to December just like the introduction of students loans, a consumer credit scheme, a more robust and expansive social welfare programme as well as grants to small businesses and the disbursement of N75 billion to MSMEs amongst others.

“To better understand the implication of this Presidential directive, we invite Nigerians to note that two lines, Lot 1A from Idu to Gbazango and Lot 3 from the Metro station in the city centre to the Abuja Airport will operate two trains each simultaneously every day and move a total daily passenger count of 39,200 and 980,000 commuters in 25 operational days in a month.

“So what this means is that for six months, the Abuja light rail will be expected to move a cumulative passenger count of 5,880,000 commuters free on the two lines that transcend the city centre and about 12 satellite towns on the Idu-Gbazango Kubwa axis of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“We make bold to say that this will go a long way to reduce the transportation burden of residents of those satellite towns as well as encourage greater use of the Abuja metro rail system.

“And for us, the feedback we are getting from the local and international media on the first week of operation of the light rail has been encouraging. It shows that President Tinubu’s gesture is well received judging by the adulation from many commuters.

“We are aware that the Abuja light rail which was first commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 was partly funded by loans from the Export-Import Bank of China, which provided 60% of the funds but we also know that the President’s free-ride decision for six months is one sure way of fulfilling part of his vow to lessen the burden of high cost of living.

So President Tinubu has demonstrated a readiness to prioritize the welfare of the citizenry over and above revenue inflow from a commercial train operation at least for the next six months.”

TMSG added that the president, being characteristically generous, will continue to be guided by the public good in his daily decision-making.