The National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NATOMORAS) has accused the federal government of failing to honour commitments made during the 2023 presidential campaign, warning that its 18 million members may take to the streets if those pledges remain unmet.
Alhaji Usman Buba Gwoza, NATOMORAS National President, spoke at a Monday press conference in Abuja, expressing frustration that none of the promises made to commercial transport operators have materialized.
“We worked. We delivered. And now we are being denied what we rightly deserve. We feel used. We feel dumped. We feel betrayed,” he declared.
Gwoza reminded reporters that, in April 2022, NATOMORAS mobilized riders nationwide to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket during the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign flag-off. In recognition, the party established a Directorate of Community Transport (Keke and Okada) and appointed him as its National Director.
He further cited an announcement made by the Minister of State for Youth Development on October 1, 2024—Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary—that 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles had been handed over to NATOMORAS. “Till today, not even one tricycle has reached our members,” Gwoza lamented.
Beyond vehicles, the association says its members served as polling agents, mobilizers and volunteers during the elections and were verbally promised federal appointments, financial backing for their directorate and an empowerment scheme for tricycle operators.
Although NATOMORAS participated in stakeholder meetings convened by the Presidential Initiative on CNG (PiCNG) in May 2024, Gwoza reported no follow-up action.
Addressing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima directly, Gwoza urged them to deliver on their word.
“Mr. President… fulfill your promise to us. Vice President Shettima—you stood before us and made a vow. Keep it,” he appealed.
Stressing that NATOMORAS intends to remain peaceful, he added: “We are not troublemakers. We are workers. We are fathers, mothers, breadwinners. All we ask is simple: fulfill your campaign promise.” The association cautioned that, should its demands continue to be ignored, it will organize peaceful nationwide protests.
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