By Abdallah el-Kurebe
Under the local government Subsidy Re-investment Programme SURE-P, Sokoto state government has procured 115 brand new 18-seater buses at a total cost of over N902,750,000 as loan to the citizens of the state.
Purchased at N7,850,000 each, the buses were loaned out at 45 percent subsidized rate of N3.5 million, with N500,000 initial deposit and subsequent monthly payment of N62,500 for 48 months.
Speaking during the presentation of the buses at Government House on Friday, Governor Aliyu Wamakko said that they would help in “boosting the transportation sector as well as serve as avenue of empowerment of the beneficiaries.
“The cost of each bus stands at N7,850,000, which has been subsidized by 45 percent where each beneficiary will pay N3,500,000 in four years,” the governor said.
He called on beneficiaries to make best use of the opportunity.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Local Government and Rural Development who spoke through the permanent secretary of the Ministry, said that under similar programmes of SURE-P for which a total of N10,046,321,588 had been spent, 11,500 people have been trained on poultry farming with equipment worth N890,000,000; 230 Keke NAPEP were procured and distributed at N152,600,000; five kilometre roads in the headquarters of each local government have been constructed at N6,615,971,588 and water pumps, seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides/herbicides and drilling tube wells were procured at N1,495,000,000.
