We Introduced ‘Awa Bike’ For Healthy Living, Green Environment-Makinde
Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has said the state government’s determination to encourage healthy living among the teeming civil/public servants and visitors to the state secretariat, Ibadan led to its partnership with AwaBikeNG, a bike-sharing and lifestyle start-up platform.
The governor, who stated this shortly after taking a ride on one of the bicycles, nicknamed ‘Keke Seyi’, from the Governor’s Office to the Water Corporation Building inside the Secretariat, said the initiative would also help to promote a green environment.
Makinde said, if explored by those within the state secretariat, the initiative would promote healthy living and fitness and also reduce the carbon footprint of the state, as emissions from vehicles would be reduced in the long run.
The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the initiative involved AwaBikeNG bringing in 60 bicycles in a pilot scheme in which individuals willing and capable of riding bicycles, could use them as a voluntary means of transportation within the secretariat.
The statement maintained that, contrary to insinuations that the governor is distributing bicycles to civil servants or that the state government is procuring bicycles, the partnership only involves AwaBikeNG bringing in its bicycles, while the state only paid a sum of N750,000 as service charge.
Speaking shortly after riding the bicycle, Governor Makinde explained the benefits of exercises such as bicycle-riding, stating that he wanted people to be fit and to also reduce the carbon footprint.
He said bicycle-riding has immense benefits, adding: “First, we are trying to promote a green environment. I rode this bike from my office to the Water Corporation Building and I burnt some calories. You have your fitness being tested.
“Also, it is a zero-carbon footprint and that is what we want to encourage here. We want people to be fit and we also want to reduce our carbon footprint.”
