The National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, threatening to embark on a nationwide peaceful protest over the administration’s failure to deliver 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered tricycles promised to the association.
According to The PUNCH, the National President of NATOMORAS, Usman Gwoza, expressed the growing frustration of the association’s over 18 million members across Nigeria.
He criticized what he described as neglect by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, despite the association’s public and active support for the All Progressives Congress during the 2023 general elections.
“Our members are angry, not because they enjoy confrontation, but because they feel abandoned,” Gwoza said.
“We love this country, and we love this government, but silence is not a solution. If this neglect continues, we may have no other choice than to mobilise our members across the nation for a peaceful protest—not in violence, but in pain.”
He recounted the association’s massive mobilisation for the APC during the 2022 campaign season, highlighting their public endorsement of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket and their grassroots involvement as volunteers, mobilisers, and polling agents—all without financial compensation.
“We stood for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket without collecting a kobo. We worked as polling agents, mobilisers, and volunteers because we believed in the vision. But today, we feel used and discarded,” he stated.
Gwoza also claimed that during one of President Tinubu’s visits, thousands of NATOMORAS members came out in support, resulting in injuries, property losses, and even fatalities among their ranks.
“Thousands of our members were injured, and some even died in the process of showing their support during the president’s airport arrival. Yet, since then, there has been no form of acknowledgment or compensation,” he added.
A central grievance raised by the association stems from a public promise made on October 1, 2024. At the time, the Honourable Minister reportedly announced the distribution of 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles to the association. However, Gwoza disclosed that “not even a single tyre has been seen by any of our members.”
He further lamented the lack of response from the presidency and other high-ranking officials. “I’ve written to the president over ten times. I’ve written to the vice president more than ten times. No reply. Not even a courtesy acknowledgment,” he said.
Gwoza also pointed to other unmet commitments, including promises of federal appointments, operational funding for the association’s directorate, and tricycle empowerment schemes.
“In May 2024, we received invitations from the Presidential Initiative on CNG to attend stakeholder meetings in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ekiti, and Kaduna. We funded our trips and mobilised our members by ourselves, yet we have nothing to show for it today,” he explained.
He ended with a direct appeal to Nigeria’s leadership: “President Tinubu, keep your promise. Vice President Shettima, you made a vow to us. Fulfil it. We are not troublemakers; we are breadwinners, hustlers, and citizens who believed in your vision. It’s time to honour your word.”
