Osun State government has unveiled commuter buses to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol or Fuel.

At the unveiling of the buses on Monday, the Executive Governor  of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke said passengers would be required to pay some tokens while boarding the buses to help run and maintain the vehicles.

Nigeria Updates understands that the buses are expected to convey civil servants, students, and other state residents along some selected routes.

Governor Adeleke, who was ably  represented by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, noted during the official unveiling of the buses in Osogbo on Monday that the buses would work between 6:45 am and 9 am for the morning shift, while those on the afternoon shift would work from 3 pm to 5 pm, from Monday to Friday.

“I assure residents of the state that their welfare remains paramount to the present administration. The administration will continue to embark on programmes and policies that will put smiles on the faces of the residents.

“I commend civil servants for their resilience and commitment to their duties despite the harsh economic realities. I assure them that this government will always prioritise their welfare,” the Daily Post quoted the Osun state governor saying.

Earlier in his remark at the unveiling of the buses, the state Commissioner for Transportation, Sesan Oyedele, assured residents of the state of more buses in the coming days. He described the Adeleke government as a workers’ friendly one.

“Passengers will be charged a token fee on each drop for the running and maintenance of the buses,” Oyedele added.

“The routes for the five buses in Osogbo are as follows: Dada Estate-Capital-Okefia-Olaiya and terminate at Abere (Secretariat). The second bus will ply Stadium Roundabout-Ayetoro-Old Garage-Olaiya and terminate at Abere (Secretariat).

“The third bus will convey passengers from Oja Oba-Isale-Osun-Odi Olowo-Olaiya and terminate at Abere (Secretariat).

“The fourth bus is scheduled to take off at Owode Ede-Abere-Ogo Oluwa-Olaiya and terminate at Old Garage, and the fifth bus will commence movement from Okinni-LAMECO-Dele-Yes Sir-East Bye Pass and terminate at Abere (Secretariat),” the government announced.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed an investigation into the conduct of officials of the police force deployed to serve in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa states at the just concluded governorship elections.

Egbetokun ordered the investigation due to increased allegations of violence and electoral malpractice levelled by opposition against the Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders of the just-concluded governorship polls.

A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, detailed that, “In another development, however, the IGP notes, with concern, pockets of incidences that occurred during the elections and charged the Electoral Offences Desk Officers, under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, to commence immediate investigations into these incidences.”

However, against the allegations of malpractice, the Police boss further said that “the electoral process in the three states transpired seamlessly, defying earlier threat assessment and projected challenges from various quarters. He acknowledges the exceptional efforts of the security personnel in maintaining law and order, safeguarding the electoral process, and ensuring the safety of citizens.”

Nigeria Updates recalls that while Civil Society Organisations commended the security agencies for their conduct at the off-cycle elections that took place over the weekend, they faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to solidify the faith of Nigerians in the country’s electoral process with its conduct at the off-cycle elections.

The Kano State government has screened out intending couples for the mass wedding scheduled to be held soon who tested positive for Hepatitis B, HIV, sickle cell and pregnancy.

Lawan Fagge, the spokesperson of Hisbah Board, said the persons were found with one health issue or the other at the point of pre-marital test screening they were subjected to as part of the conditions for taking part in the state-sponsored wedding.

Fagge said the affected spouses have since been replaced in the ongoing exercise and subjected to counselling and medications.

According to him, “Based on the interim report we got from the Ministry of Health, about 40 males and females tested positive for Hepatitis B. There are those with sickle cell those who are pregnant and those with HIV. But they will be counselled and placed on medication for the next few months. They have been rejected from the exercise and made replacements. They might be considered after their medication.

“We screened about 5,000 out of which we only needed 1,800 couples,” Fagge said.

Recall that the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP-led government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has earmarked the sum of N854 million to conduct mass weddings for the over 1,800 couples in the state. The mass wedding was first introduced in the state by the Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso-led administration.”

According to SaharaReporters report, the Kano State Hisbah Board said over 4000 prospective couples registered to participate in the state-planned mass wedding.

The board had added that it had succeeded in selecting 1,800 couples and they were already being scheduled for medical screening as part of the prerequisite arrangement of the mass wedding proceedings.

It would be recalled that the administration of the state government headed by Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf earmarked over N800 million for mass weddings to procure furniture, food items, and clothing materials, dowry, and capital for 1,800 intending couples under its mass wedding scheme.

Many prospective couples expressed gratitude to the Kano State governor for providing the opportunity for them to get married in their lifetime.