Subsidy palliatives: Osun repairs 19 grounded buses with N25.2m

The Osun State Government has disclosed that it repaired the almost grounded 19 buses rolled out as part of the effort to cushion the harsh effects of the petroleum subsidy removal with a sum of 25,274,288.00 (Twenty Five Million, Two Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty Eight Naira).

The government, made this known in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.

According to Alimi, “the government wishes to emphasize that all the buses which were at almost grounded status, and off the road conditions cost a total sum of 25,274,288.00 (Twenty Five Million, Two Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty Eight Naira) to ensure their road worthiness, so as to be able to carry out the new services of conveyance of people.”

He explained that, “Osogbo, the Osun state capital have five of the buses officially assigned to it for commuting people to the already earmarked routes.

“Ede, Iwo and Ikirun have two each while the people of Ife/ Modakeke and Ilesha have three each. The remaining two of the buses are kept on a standby for other contingencies that may likely come up from time to time.

“With Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, used as a pilot scheme for the official commencement of Imole bus palliatives shuttle services, the government wishes to announce, with all sense of responsibility, that the bus services will be made to go round other towns and cities of the state very soon.

“The buses, it must be noted, are to work on two shifts daily as they ply all the officially designated routes, morning and afternoon of Mondays through Fridays.

“According to the arrangements, the morning services will be between 6:45 am and 9:00am, while the afternoon shuttles will be between 3pm and 5pm daily.”

Alimi reaffirmed the commitment of the Ademola Adeleke-led government to never let the public down by always keeping to its campaign promises of putting smiles on their faces.

It would be recalled that some buses were purchased by the state government during the former administration of Rauf Aregbesola for use by public schools.

However, almost all the 30 buses marked “Omoluabi Scholar Bus” had been grounded, abandoned by previous administration before the government of Adeleke repaired 19 of them.