By Our Correspondent

State House management, in collaboration with the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, P-CNGI, and private energy firm Rolling Energy, has commissioned an integrated CNG fuelling and conversion facility at the abandoned State House fuel dump in Karu, Abuja.

The facility marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s transition to cleaner and cheaper vehicle energy, and signals the Federal Government’s determination to move beyond rhetoric on gas-powered transport.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Temitope Fadeshemi, said the project demonstrates government’s commitment to “walking the talk” following President Bola Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal and the shift to Compressed Natural Gas.

He explained that the site, abandoned for decades and fallen into disrepute, was repurposed to dispense CNG and convert eligible petrol vehicles to gas hybrid systems.

“For several decades, this fuel dump was abandoned and fell into disrepute. We thought the best thing we could do is reactivate this place and make it available for dispensing CNG. And that is what we have done in partnership with P-CNGI,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, stressed that no public funds were spent on the infrastructure, with the private partner bearing the full cost of renovation.

“The State House hasn’t spent any naira on this place. We made this place available, and our partner, Rolling Energy, renovated it. They have already demonstrated capacity with several stations of their own, and for over a week during testing, they dispensed free CNG to the local community as a show of good faith,” he said.

The facility will serve the Presidential Villa’s growing fleet, which already includes recently acquired hybrid JAC vehicles and internal shuttle buses, while also opening conversion services to staff and eligible vehicle owners in the area.

Addressing concerns over the pace of rollout, Fadeshemi said government’s role is to enable and demonstrate viability, while private investors drive infrastructure growth.

Building on that, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of P-CNGI, Ismail Ahmed, said the initiative has moved far beyond proof-of-concept into rapid nationwide scaling.

“This is almost our 160th station across the country in less than two years,” Ahmed said. “The market has been proven, and investors are trooping in. Over $2.6 billion worth of private investment has come into the sector.”

He disclosed that 170 more stations are in various stages of development or awaiting licensing from the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, while over 2,000 infrastructure units ordered by the President are expected between late this year and early next year.

Ahmed said the scale-up is aimed at serving Nigeria’s estimated 12 million vehicles and over 220 million people, noting the country now boasts one of the fastest adoption rates for CNG and electric vehicles globally.

He contrasted the pace with the 60 years it took to establish Nigeria’s 24,000 traditional petrol stations, adding that the President has ordered another 500 fuelling units.

On direct impact, Ahmed said operational CNG routes are already cutting transport costs by 30 to 40 percent, citing the Kano-to-Katsina route where fares fell from between N3,000 and N4,000 to N1,500 on CNG buses.

The Chief Executive Officer of Rolling Energy, Mubarak Dambatta, said the Karu station features an Integrated Refuelling Unit with double dispensers capable of serving 150 cars daily.

“For the IRU, everything is integrated into one unit; we have the dispenser and the compressor all integrated into one. We also have a double noose, which means you can dispense from both sides, capable of serving 150 motorists daily depending on your cylinder size and the pressure,” he said.

Dambatta added that the station also has a conversion unit with capacity to convert 12 cars daily, as government targets aggressive expansion across high-traffic commercial corridors nationwide.

By Peter Alias, Makurdi

As 2027 electoon draws close,Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has inaugurated the Tinubu/Alia 2027 Campaign Council, as the All Progressives Congress, APC , in Benue begins preparations for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Alia in the 2027 general elections.

He stated that Nigeria and Benue State have no reason to look elsewhere, when he is steadily delivering, while President Tinubu is also delivering and relentlessly supporting the state to regain its lost glories.

The Tinubu/Alia Campaign Council, has Citizen Richard Asema as Director-General and Dr Cletus Akwaya, publisher of Daily Asset Newspaper Abuja, as Campaign Council Secretary.

Speaking during the occasion held Thursday at IBB Square, Makurdi, Governor Alia charged members of the council to demonstrate unity, commitment and dedication, describing their appointments as a reflection of the confidence reposed in them by the party leadership and the people of Benue State.

The governor, urged party members in the state to put aside personal grievances, embrace reconciliation and work collectively towards securing victory for the APC in the forthcoming elections.

He described the DG, Citizen Asema, as an experienced political leader with the capacity to coordinate the campaign and deliver the desired result.

Rolling out his achievements in office, Governor Alia attributed the successes recorded by his administration in security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and industrialisation to the cooperation and support of President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government.

He particularly acknowledged federal interventions that have strengthened security operations and supported efforts to restore peace to previously troubled communities in the state.

The governor also listed the recruitment of 9,700 primary school teachers, improvements in public school infrastructure, regular payment of salaries and pensions, road construction and the establishment of agricultural processing facilities among the achievements of his administration, noting that the partnership between the state and the Federal Government had contributed significantly to these developments.

On infrastructure, the governor disclosed that the effort to connect all 23 local government areas of the state through road networks was nearing completion, with approximately 25 percent of the work remaining.

He also cited the revival and completion of previously abandoned projects, including Taraku Mills, the International Conference Centre at IBB Square and the Cancer Centre at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, as evidence of his administration’s commitment to continuity.

He promised that when re-elected, he would concentrate on consolidating existing achievements rather than starting new projects from scratch.

According to the governor, the administration has remained committed to implementing its development blueprint since assuming office in 2023, promising to focus on sustaining ongoing initiatives, strengthening completed projects and ensuring that public investments deliver lasting benefits, if re-elected in 2027.

He stated further that industrialisation, agriculture and strategic investments in education, healthcare and commerce would remain central to his administration’s determination to break the cycle of poverty and expand economic opportunities for the people.

He expressed confidence that Benue’s enormous agricultural potential, coupled with its emerging oil and gas prospects, could provide the state with the resources needed to build a stronger economy and generate substantial internal revenue, reducing its dependence on federal allocation.

The governor of the inauguration commissioned the President Bola Tinubu Campaign Office located along Iorchia Ayu Road, Wurukum, Makurdi.

By Tony Nwafor,Enugu

The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has sworn in 2,200 corps members of the 2026 Batch C Stream 2 set deployed to Enugu State for the one-year mandatory national service.

The State Coordinator, NYSC, Mrs Oluwakemi Awolola, disclosed this on Friday, during the swearing-in ceremony at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State.

Awolola said that the corps members comprised 862 males and 1,338 females.

She expressed joy over the upgrade of facilities in the NYSC camp by Governor Peter Mbah administration.

She applauded Enugu State Government for the provision of potable water boreholes, reconstruction of abandoned toilets and renovation of male hostels in the camp.

The state coordinator said that NYSC remained grateful to Governor Peter Mbah’s administration steadfast commitment to the welfare, security and general well-being of corps members in the state.

‎”The various supports provided by the state government have continued to create a conducive environment for the successful implementation of the NYSC programme in the state,” she said.

The state coordinator tasked the corps members on discipline, noting that discipline remained the bedrock of the NYSC Scheme.

‎She said that the orientation programme had been carefully structured to instill the values of patriotism, discipline, self-reliance, leadership and national integration through physical training exercises, drills, lectures, social activities and various interactive sessions.

‎Delivering his address and ‎inaugurating the boreholes and other projects, Gov. Mbah reassured his administration’s commitment to the welfare and security of the corps members.

‎The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Lloyd Ekweremadu, reiterated his commitment to commence the payment of his earlier promised new allowance to all the corps members in November.

‎He urged the corps members to tolerate one another.

“By living and serving together across ethnic and cultural, religion and geographical differences, you have the opportunity to practice tolerance, build understanding and strengthen the bond that hold our nation together,” he said.

Mbah said that the NYSC had received the first line of attention in terms of infrastructure renovations, additional boreholes and reconnection of electricity.

He said that there were currently ongoing construction of new accommodations for both the staff and the corps members as well as new auditorium.

The Enugu State Chief Judge, Justice Raymond Ozoemena, represented by Justice Anthony Onovo, administered oath of allegiance to the new corps members.

Ozoemena said that the greatest legacy they could leave while concluding their service year was “a good name”.

“It is a legacy that you can leave behind to your children and generation to come after, which they will cherish,” he said.

‎Earlier, the General Manager, Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Mr Monday Ani, said that with the mandate of the governor, his team was able to rehabilitate all the boreholes, toilets and hostels within three weeks.

He commended the NYSC state coordinator for the cordial relationship she established with the state government and the CSDA.