By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The Benue Links Nigeria Limited (BLNL) said it has reduced inherited gratuity liabilities from N198 million to N19 million within two years of the present administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia while also clearing three months of salary arrears owed staff.
General Manager of BLNL, Alexander Fanafa, disclosed this at the weekend during an interaction with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Makurdi.
He described the company’s progress as a “drastic overhaul” in technical and operational activities made possible by Governor Alia’s intervention.
According to him, after the Alia administration donated 100 new buses and three trucks in October 2023, the company has established an ICT unit for online booking, introduced taxi services, and constructed a box culvert to address perennial flooding at the company’s headquarters.
Fanafa further noted that the transport company fares were deliberately reduced to ease hardship following fuel subsidy removal, with persons with disabilities enjoying a 50 percent discount.
“Our fare from Makurdi to Lagos is just N22,000 while others charge over N42,000,” he said.
He said that the company has also opened new terminals in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, and is set to open one in Ekiti State next week while ermanent terminals have been secured in Abuja, Adikpo, and Zaki Biam, reopening most routes except those in Gwer West and Ukum areas of Benue due to insecurity.
On staff welfare, Fanafa said Benue Links was the first state company to implement the N75,000 minimum wage and has recruited more than 110 drivers alongside 100 other workers.
He added that training sessions were conducted with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), while speed monitoring devices have been installed on all company vehicles to check indiscipline among drivers.
Fanafa acknowledged security challenges, especially kidnappings, but said the company has curtailed night journeys and warned drivers to avoid flashpoints.
He also revealed that in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the company has intercepted and rescued 19 trafficked children, including one recovered from Lagos and reunited with family in Ukum Local Government Area.
Meanwhile, he said government has approved the design for a motel, plazas, and other facilities to enhance passenger comfort, while appealing for more vehicles to meet growing demand.
