The National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association has threatened to embark on a nationwide peaceful protest over the Federal Government’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, voiced the frustration of over 18 million members across Nigeria, lamenting what he described as neglect by President Bola Tinubu’s administration despite the association’s unwavering 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.”
Gwoza recounted the association’s massive mobilisation during the APC campaign in 2022, including their public endorsement and volunteer efforts across polling units, wards, and local governments.
He noted that NATOMORAS played a significant role in grassroots mobilization, even without receiving 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.
According to him, the group’s sacrifices included mobilising thousands of members to welcome the president during a visit, which allegedly resulted in casualties and property losses.
“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,” Gwoza added.
One of the major grievances voiced by NATOMORAS was the unmet promise made on October 1, 2024, when the Honourable Minister reportedly announced the handover of 2,000 CNG tricycles to the association. Gwoza said that, contrary to the public declaration, “not even a single tyre has been seen by any of our members.”
He further expressed disappointment at the lack of communication from top government 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.”
Highlighting other unfulfilled promises, he said the association was assured of federal appointments, funding for its directorate, and tricycle empowerment schemes—all of which remain undelivered.
“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 said.
He concluded with a direct appeal to the nation’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.”
