Niger CNG Users Protest Shortage, Besiege NNPC Mega Station in Minna

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle owners in Niger State on Sunday took to the streets of Minna, the state capital, to protest the lack of CNG supply, months after converting their vehicles to the fuel.

The aggrieved motorists besieged the NNPC Mega Station in the city, demanding answers over why the product has been unavailable.

Some of the protesters said they were told the station’s CNG dispensing machine had developed a fault, but that nothing had been done to repair it. This, they said, has left them with CNG-powered vehicles and no choice but to fall back on the more expensive Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

One of the protesters, Mohammed Doko Saidu, questioned why the government would champion the conversion to CNG without providing adequate facilities in the states to serve motorists.

“Nobody is saying anything. The station is just lying fallow. In fact, I had to disconnect some of the cylinders installed in my car because there is no gas. What kind of government are we in? It’s frustrating.”

Another CNG vehicle user, Engr. Israel Ogbonnaya, said motorists resorted to protest after repeated visits to the station failed to produce any explanation or solution.

“It is so discouraging that for three months now, the CNG station at NNPC Minna has not functioned. Some people did their conversion since January and have not recovered their money,” he said.

According to him, the dispensing machine broke down, yet no one has told them the real cause. “We have come here several times demanding answers from the management and nobody is talking,” he added.

Ogbonnaya said the motorists staged the protest to draw the attention of Nigerians and the authorities to their plight in Minna.

“CNG is the brainchild of the President. He set up a committee to look into the scheme, and these people are taking us for granted,” he said.

LEADERSHIP observed that the protest was peaceful, as the motorists urged the station’s management and other stakeholders to urgently address the situation and restore CNG supply.

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