By Oyo Amebo
There was a time when public transport in Oyo State resembled a cautionary tale told in hushed tones. The Pacesetter Transport Service, meant to be a visible testament to order, mobility, and public efficiency, had instead become a parade of breakdowns, inconsistent accounts, and a worrying acceptance of mediocrity.
Buses stalled as though on cue, financial records read like riddles, and leakages had become a silent tradition no one dared acknowledge. Passengers endured delays that stretched patience thin; staff morale hovered somewhere near resignation.
Into this weary landscape walked Dr Ibraheem Salami Dikko—not with ribbon-cutting theatrics or shiny new buses designed to distract the public, but with the quiet audacity to look the real problems in the eye.
His first insight was disarmingly simple: machinery cannot save a system whose foundations are rotting. The trouble was not the buses; it was the logic—or lack of logic, running beneath them.
So he began where few reformers start: deep within the operational bones of the organisation. For years, fare collection had been a cash-based free-for-all. Money exchanged hands endlessly; reconciliations were inconsistent at best; and revenue records floated in ambiguity.
Ridership and income rarely matched. Dikko’s solution was surgical, no cash, no loopholes. A completely digitised ticketing system replaced the old ways, ensuring every transaction left a visible trail. Accountability, once optional, became unavoidable.
Technology reshaped the service further. GPS devices found their way into every bus, turning them from wandering vehicles into transparent, monitorable assets. Miles travelled, fuel consumed, route deviations, and schedule adherence could now be observed in real time. Unofficial trips—once whispered about, became impossible to hide. Decisions shifted from guesswork to data-driven precision.
CCTV cameras followed, installed not just in buses but at operational points. Conflicts reduced, misconduct dwindled, and passengers rediscovered a sense of safety many had forgotten. Professionalism ceased being an ambition; it became the baseline.
But Dikko understood that technology, however brilliant, cannot compensate for people who feel unseen or undervalued.
The staff, tired from years of salary delays, undefined roles, and chaotic processes, needed more than new gadgets. So he restored order: salaries became prompt, welfare improved, responsibilities were clarified, and comprehensive digital training empowered staff to navigate the new system confidently. A demoralised workforce slowly transformed into a motivated unit with something to protect.
Then came the masterstroke: the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses. This was not a symbolic gesture, it was strategic evolution. CNG reduced fuel costs dramatically, cut emissions significantly, and placed Oyo State alongside global players embracing cleaner transport.
A dedicated CNG refuelling station in Ibadan completed the ecosystem, signalling permanence rather than a passing experiment. Passengers benefitted from stable fares; the environment benefitted from cleaner air; and the agency benefitted from sustainability.
Financial stability followed. Debts, once a constant menace, were gradually resolved. Revenue leakages closed. Budgets became realistic. For the first time in years, the Pacesetter Transport Service ceased to be a burden and began functioning as a dependable institution.
The larger lesson was unmistakable: public agencies don’t fail because the people are incompetent; they fail because systems are neglected, and innovation is treated as a luxury. Dikko’s leadership, quiet, methodical, unpretentious—proved that revival requires precision, not performance.
No fireworks accompanied the transformation. No extravagant ceremonies trumpeted success. Progress was incremental, steady, and profoundly practical.
Today, the evidence is lived rather than announced. Buses arrive when they should. Fares are paid seamlessly. Staff treat their jobs with renewed pride. Passengers board, travel, and disembark without anxiety.
Pacesetter Transport Service has become more than a means of movement, it has become a symbol of what disciplined leadership can achieve. The buses may now run on cleaner gas, but the true engine of this rebirth is integrity, intelligence, and accountability.
In rescuing a collapsing institution, Dr Dikko demonstrated something rare: that public service, when anchored in purpose rather than politics, can not only work—but work brilliantly.