Gombe Gov rides tricycle to stadium, empower 1,000 youths with Keke NAPEP
Gombe State Governor Muhammad Yahaya on Wednesday, drove himself with the support of his security details from the Government House to Pantami stadium venue of the empowerment of 1,000 youths who received tricycle popularly known as Keke NAPEP.
Yahaya revealed that the youths were drawn from parts of the state for commercial use, stressing that the tricycles were given to the beneficiaries as loans through partnership with a manufacturing company SIMBA TVS.
He said the gesture was meant to address redundancy and restiveness among the state youths so that they could be responsible members of the society.
Yahaya said, “Like other support and economic empowerment programmes of our administration, this intervention is aimed at promoting the socio-economic advancement and self-reliance of the common man and increasing the availability of easy-to-use means of transportation for our people.
“This further affirms our determination to support every citizen of the state without bias. By this discounted revolving rider-owner arrangement, it is envisaged that these beneficiaries will earn a living for themselves and their families through this partnership and subsequently give a window for another batch of beneficiaries to be selected in due course.”
According to him, the company would be requested to establish a branch in the state where tricycles would be made in the state after the completion of the proposed industrial park currently being constructed by the government.
Responding on behalf of beneficiaries, the state chairman NAPEP Riders Association, Muhammad Sarki appreciated the governor for the gesture, adding that they got beyond the 500 tricycles they initially requested from the governor to their members.
Sarki said, “Many of our members share same tricycles on shifting ground where one person will use it in the morning and another takes over in the afternoon or evening because they could not purchase the vehicles.
“But with this development, our members can now have tricycles of their own as a result of this loan. This will indeed enable them to maximize profits.”
