{"id":65299,"date":"2025-05-05T10:27:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T10:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=65299"},"modified":"2025-05-05T10:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T10:27:47","slug":"stop-fighting-picng-nigerians-tell-veteran-journalist-sina-kawonise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/05\/05\/stop-fighting-picng-nigerians-tell-veteran-journalist-sina-kawonise\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Fighting PiCNG, Nigerians Tell Veteran Journalist Sina Kawonise"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Samson Adeyanju<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Many Nigerians have expressed outrage over recent comments by veteran journalist Sina Kawonise, describing his criticism of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PiCNG) as a calculated attempt to discredit a policy aimed at easing the burden of high fuel prices on struggling citizens.<\/p>\n

Kawonise, a well-known critic of the Tinubu administration, came under fire both online and offline following his appearance on Arise TV, where he questioned the safety and integrity of the CNG kits being distributed under the initiative.<\/p>\n

Even though he acknowledged that the CNG concept was well-intentioned, many believe his objections are disconnected from the reality that the initiative is providing real relief to ordinary Nigerians.<\/p>\n

On the streets of Abuja and across several PiCNG catchment areas, commercial drivers, who are the lifeblood of urban transport are embracing the program with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo wait a day for a free gas conversion is far better than being crippled by daily petrol costs,\u201d said Idris Ahmed, a commercial driver at Nyanya Park. \u201cPeople like Mr. Sina are not speaking for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some critics have gone further to accuse Kawonise of acting as a mouthpiece for disgruntled kit importers whose shady dealings were exposed by PiCNG.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not journalism; this is sabotage,\u201d said a taxi driver who asked not to be named. \u201cWhy would anyone demonize a government program offering free kits to the poor unless they have something to lose?\u201d<\/p>\n

In a recent statement, PiCNG accused Mr. Charles Goriola Yakub of C & L Smart Energy, a firm formerly involved in the conversion project, of illegally selling government-supplied kits meant to be distributed at no cost.<\/p>\n

The company was suspended in December 2024 after multiple reports and video evidence linked it to extortion and vehicle damage. The case is now with the EFCC.<\/p>\n

To many Nigerians, Kawonise\u2019s criticisms are ill-timed and misplaced.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t be shouting about poverty and then fight a policy that\u2019s helping to reduce the cost of living,\u201d said Amaka Chinedu, a commuter. \u201cThis is wickedness disguised as activism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, Kawonise himself admitted that his vehicles have been converted and that he now saves over 80 percent on fuel costs.<\/p>\n

Yet he continues to insist the implementing agency is the problem, a position many find contradictory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the system is saving you money, why fight it?\u201d Chinedu added.<\/p>\n

The PiCNG program remains one of the few federal initiatives widely embraced by the masses. It represents a lifeline for commercial drivers and low-income earners struggling under the weight of fuel subsidy removal.<\/p>\n

To undermine it, many argue, is to side with profiteers at the expense of the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpposing the government is a right,\u201d said civic advocate Michael Okonkwo, \u201cbut weaponizing misinformation against a people-centered policy is not activism \u2014 it\u2019s betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the PiCNG initiative gains nationwide momentum, voices like Kawonise\u2019s may become increasingly isolated, not as champions of the people but as defenders of a broken status quo the people are trying to escape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Samson Adeyanju Many Nigerians have expressed outrage over recent comments by veteran journalist Sina Kawonise, describing his criticism of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PiCNG) as a calculated attempt to discredit a policy aimed at easing the burden of high fuel prices on struggling citizens. Kawonise, a well-known critic of the Tinubu administration, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":65300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[59,750],"class_list":["post-65299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured","tag-pcngi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65299"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65301,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65299\/revisions\/65301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}