{"id":65302,"date":"2025-05-05T18:37:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=65302"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:37:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:37:16","slug":"kit-importer-fights-fg-over-cng-kits-subsidy-for-selfish-interest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/05\/05\/kit-importer-fights-fg-over-cng-kits-subsidy-for-selfish-interest\/","title":{"rendered":"Kit Importer Fights FG Over CNG Kits Subsidy for Selfish Interest"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ade Iyamoye<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In what many have described as an unpatriotic outburst, Mr. Sina Kawonise during an interview on Arise TV, dismissed the government’s subsidy programme as corrupt and inefficient.<\/p>\n

The ongoing patriotic effort by the Federal Government to ease transportation costs through the free distribution of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) kits under the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI) has come under fire from a surprising corner\u2014Kawonise, a veteran journalist and owner of Real Autos, a company that imports CNG kits.<\/p>\n

He alleged massive fraud in the distribution process, claiming that the kits are being funneled to the black market while his own business suffers. But critics say the real reason for his attack is far from noble.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is pure selfishness disguised as advocacy,\u201d said a transport union leader in Abuja. \u201cMr. Kawonise imports kits and sells them for profit.<\/p>\n

“He is only angry because the government has made the kits free for commercial drivers, cutting him off from exploiting desperate Nigerians. The masses are not complaining\u2014he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, commercial drivers across Abuja and other PCNGI catchment areas have expressed relief and gratitude for the initiative, with many willing to queue for hours just to get gas at cheaper rates rather than burn expensive petrol.<\/p>\n

This is not about politics. It’s about people \u2014 everyday Nigerians \u2014 who have found a lifeline in CNG. Amid rising fuel prices and economic hardship, PiCNG is offering practical relief.<\/p>\n

Commercial drivers, market traders, and low-income earners are queuing up for free gas conversion kits, not because they were forced to, but because it works. And that\u2019s what makes Kawonise\u2019s attack not just puzzling, but infuriating.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet him come and see us,\u201d said Ahmed Suleiman, a commercial driver in Nyanya. \u201cWe are happy. We save more money now. We\u2019d rather wait a few hours at a filling station than waste thousands on fuel daily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Observers say Mr. Kawonise\u2019s attack on the PCNGI is a thinly veiled attempt to discredit a pro-poor policy in order to revive his dwindling business.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s not pretend. Corrupt private players \u2014 including some kit importers \u2014 have been exposed and kicked out by PiCNG for shady dealings. One of them, C & L Smart Energy Limited, was accused of selling government-provided kits meant to be free.<\/p>\n

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is now involved. It\u2019s no secret that these vested interests are angry. But for a respected journalist to align with their narrative, knowingly or unknowingly, is deeply troubling.<\/p>\n

Kawonise himself admits that his vehicles were converted and that he now saves over 80% on fuel. Isn\u2019t that the very proof of PiCNG\u2019s success? How can one enjoy the fruits of a policy and still publicly attack its roots?<\/p>\n

He calls the agency \u201cirresponsible.\u201d I call this kind of criticism dishonest.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be clear: no public policy is perfect. There will be challenges. But the PiCNG has done what few government initiatives manage \u2014 win the hearts of the people.<\/p>\n

From the streets of Nyanya to the parks of Kaduna and Kano, the mood is one of cautious optimism. People see hope. People feel relief. People believe.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not speaking for the masses\u2014he\u2019s speaking for his market,\u201d said a source close to the initiative. \u201cHis company can\u2019t compete with the government’s gesture, so now he\u2019s on TV shouting corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n

While acknowledging teething problems like long queues and limited infrastructure, many stakeholders insist that these are early-stage challenges that do not warrant sabotage from so-called experts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we need is constructive input, not calculated misinformation,\u201d an anonymous who spoke to Abuja City Journal said.<\/p>\n

The Federal Government has reiterated that the CNG kits are free for commercial drivers in a bid to reduce transport fares and ease the burden of fuel subsidy removal.<\/p>\n

Already, over 40,000 vehicles have reportedly been converted, and a fresh batch of 70,000 kits is expected in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

But rather than applaud the move, Mr. Kawonise wants the subsidy scrapped altogether. \u201cOf course he does,\u201d said another driver. \u201cThat way, he can go back to selling kits at inflated prices while we suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a time when over 60% of Nigerians are living below the poverty line, many believe Mr. Kawonise\u2019s posture is not just anti-government\u2014but anti-people. \u201cLet\u2019s call him what he is: an enemy of the masses,\u201d said a CNG technician in Lugbe. \u201cThe government is trying to help, and some people are trying to frustrate it just to make money.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is particularly worrisome when someone of Kawonise\u2019s calibre uses his platform to punch down on a programme helping the poor, we must ask: whose script is he reading from?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to sit in studios and pontificate. It\u2019s harder to see the reality on the ground. PiCNG may not be perfect, but it is progressive. And more importantly, it is pro-people.<\/p>\n

Kawonise is free to disagree with government policies. That is democracy. But what is unacceptable is the weaponization of partial truths to discredit a programme that is lifting burdens off the backs of ordinary Nigerians.<\/p>\n

His voice could have amplified the good, demanded improvements, and ensured more transparency. Instead, he chose the route of cynical dismissal \u2014 and that is a disservice to the people he once spoke for.<\/p>\n

As the PCNGI pushes forward, Nigerians will be watching closely\u2014not just the government, but also those who claim to be helping but are actually hurting the people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ade Iyamoye In what many have described as an unpatriotic outburst, Mr. Sina Kawonise during an interview on Arise TV, dismissed the government’s subsidy programme as corrupt and inefficient. The ongoing patriotic effort by the Federal Government to ease transportation costs through the free distribution of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) kits under the Presidential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":65341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1689],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65302","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=65302"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65342,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65302\/revisions\/65342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}