The Cross River State Government’s vision behind the the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion and Training Centre in Calabar, was to assist commercial and private vehicle owners cut cost through conversion from fuel to CNG, but the facility erected with million of taxpayers fund has become a haven for reptiles and grazing field for cattles.
The facility erected by the state government to reduce vehicle owners’ expenses has been abandoned, barely one year after it was commissioned in the state.
A visit to the facility’s location in Calabar, the Cross River State, by The Guild correspondent yesterday revealed that the facility which was expected to put smile on vehicle owners’ faces is impacting negatively on the people who were previously rejoicing over the government’s move.
The centre, inaugurated on October 18, 2024, by Governor Bassey Otu at the premises of the Construction and Fabrication Academy, was part of efforts to promote affordable transportation and a transition to cleaner, sustainable energy.
A commercial transport operator, who spoke on anonymity, expressed disappointment over the lack of progress on the facility considering that he was among guests who watched the governor cut the tapes at the facility.
“As a union, we were all excited when the government launched the CNG initiative because it could help reduce our fuel expenses,” he said.
“They told us the only challenge was converting our vehicles to CNG, which would cost about N500,000. Even with that, many of us were willing to explore it. But one year later, nothing has been heard about the project.”
Another driver, who plies the Calabar–Ikom–Ogoja route, said the project had joined the long list of abandoned initiatives in the state.
“When they launched the CNG centre, they said it would operate from the Fabrication Academy. Today, the place is quiet and covered with weeds. I knew it would end like this because we’ve seen many projects start with fanfare and end in silence,” he lamented.
Responding to concerns over the state of the centre, the Commissioner for Transportation, Ekpenyong Cobham, said the project had not been abandoned but was delayed due to logistics challenges.
“There has been a little delay in kick-starting operations, but the government is fully committed to the programme,” Cobham said. “The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) is expected to visit Cross River soon. It’s not possible for us to abandon such a vital initiative that will make transportation more affordable for our people.”
The CNG project was conceived as part of the federal government’s plan to encourage the use of alternative energy sources in transportation, reduce dependence on petrol, and cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
