Umuahia – Hundreds of tricyle operators (Keke Napep), in Umuahia, on Wednesday protested against what they described as government exploitation through collection of multiple taxes.
The operators also protested against alleged attempt by the government to forcefully collapse all the various associations into one umbrella group.
The protesters, who converged around the Umuahia Tower, near the Post Office on Aba Road, carried placards with various inscriptions.
Some of the placards read: “Scrap the new Keke number,” “We don’t want govt’s Keke number,” “We say no to new Keke number,” “We are tired of paying levies,” “Okezie Ikpeazu stop exploiting Keke operators,” among others.
The irate transporters disrupted free flow of traffic in the area for more than one hour and forced other operators to discharge their passengers and join the protest.
As the size of the protesters gradually swelled, their vehicles blocked the road forcing other motorists to divert to other routes.
A team of policemen was later deployed to keep surveillance on the protesters to prevent break down avoid the action escalating.
Speaking with newsmen, one of the leaders of the protesters, Mr Eddy Anyanwu, said that they were opposed to government’s insistence to merge all the associations, “in spite of a restraining court injunction.”
He said that the introduction of new number plate for Keke at a cost of N5, 200 each was exploitative, adding that they were also levied N15, 000 each to buy tarpaulin.
The protesters demanded an end to all the “daily tickets” and plans by the Ministry of Transport to merge all the associations.
They insisted that the merger would breach their fundamental right to belong to any association of their choice.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Umuahia North Local Government Area, Mr Ezekiel Onyeke (SP), later addresed them and appealed to them to return to their business.
Onyeke assured them that their grievances would be properly looked into by the government.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Transport, Mrs Nnanna Obewo-Onwuka, described the protest as “politically-motivated.”
She said that the effort by the ministry to merge the multiple associations was designed to ensure sanity in Keke operation in the state.
She accused the Keke operators of taking the laws into their hands because of the court injunction.
According to her, the new plate number was introduced to enable the ministry build a database for Keke operators in the state.
She said that the number plate cost N3, 200 each contrary to the claim by the protesters that it cost N5, 200.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there are four different Keke associations in the state.
They include Keke Napep Owners Welfare Association, Abia State Tricycle Owners of Association, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra and Biafra Independent Movement, among other bodies. (NAN)