…Declare war, accuse Tinubu, APC of abandoning members
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, the association specifically mentioned the Minister of Youth Development, then Minister of State, Ayodele Olawande, who publicly promised to support their members with 2,000 CNG-Powered Tricycles as part of the campaign promise, but never did.
NATOMORAS President, Usman Buba Gwoza, who read the speech, warned that though their members are peaceful and love the country, however they are angry, adding that if thier silence continues, they will have no choice than to mobilize their members to peacefully protest nationwide, not in violence, but in pain.
They claimed that their members were promised federal appointments, financing and support for their directorate and most importantly, empowerment to their members, but failed to fulfil any of them.
According to him; “I speak not just for myself, but for over 18 million registered members of NATOMORAS – men and women, who own and ride tricycles and motorcycles across all the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT.
“In April 2022, during the APC National Campaign flag-off in Plateau state, NATOMORAS came out in full force. Our members traveled from every corner of this country to show support for Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket. We showed our numbers, we showed our strength, and we stood tall for the APC.
“Because of our visible support, APC created the Directorate of Community Transport (Keke and Okada) and appointed me, Usman Buba Gwoza, the National President of NATOMORAS, as the National Director.
“We were the only association of tricycle and motorcycle riders that publicly declared full support for Tinubu/Shettima held in Abuja in the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in Abuja. We did this without collecting a single kobo.
“Our members also worked as polling agents, mobilizers, and volunteers from polling units to wards, to LGAs, and states. These we did because we believed in the vision. We gave everything to make sure APC, President Tinubu and his Vice Shettima won at the 2023 Presidential Elections.
“But today, almost two years after, not even one of the promises made to NATOMORAS has been fulfilled. We were promised federal appointments. We were promised financing and support for our directorate.
Most importantly, we were promised empowerment to our members.
“On October 1, 2024, at the Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary, held in Abuja, the Minister of State for Youth Development, now the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, publicly announced that 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles have been handed over to NATOMORAS as part of the campaign promise.
“The media carried the news. The whole world heard it. But till today, not even one tricycle has been given to our members.
We later paid a courtesy visit to the Minister. He confirmed it again and promised to fast-track the process. We trusted him.
“In May 2024, the Presidential Initiative (PICNG) on CNG invited us to stakeholder engagement meetings held in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ekiti, and Kaduna states. We sponsored ourselves, mobilized our members massively, and attended those meetings in full. All invitation letters were personally signed by the CEO of PCNG, Michael Oluwagbemi,” they narrated their ugly experiences.
Lamenting further, the association noted: “It is disheartening to state here that millions of Nigerian youths and poor families who voted APC because of our campaign and grassroots mobilization, now find it difficult to trust and believe in our integrity as an Association, We therefore feel used. We feel dumped and We feel betrayed.”
“Let us be clear: NATOMORAS is not begging. We are simply demanding that the Federal Government fulfill its own promise. We worked. We delivered. And now we are being denied what we rightly deserve. We are calling on President Tinubu to fulfill his promise to us. Vice President Shettima and made a vow. Keep it. You stood before us.
“Our members are angry. But we are peaceful people. We love Nigeria. We love this government. But if this silence continues, we will have no choice than to mobilize our members to peacefully protest nationwide. Not in violence, but in pain.
“We are not troublemakers. We are workers. We are fathers, mothers, breadwinners, hustlers. We supported this government with all our heart. And all we ask for is simple: Fulfill your campaign promise. We have waited long enough. Now is the time for action,” the association warned.