Despite rising insecurity in Asaba Capital Territory, associated with the activities of fake commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists popularly known as keke and okada riders, the Delta State Government has said that it would not ban keke and okada as means of transportation.
The government said banning keke and okada operations in the state capital territory would worsen the already high level of unemployment in the state, thereby causing more economic hardship to genuine operators and people living and doing business in the metropolis.
The government rather said it has set up a joint taskforce to regulate and streamline the activities of commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists in the metropolis, in order to save the lives, property and businesses in the city.
Both Keke and Okada riders have designated routes ply within the metropolis and their daily activities would be streamlined to ensure they don’t exceed their various boundaries.
The state commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu during a well attended briefing by relevant ministries, agencies and the association of tricycle/motorcyclist, said the taskforce would commence action on Monday, November 23, and asked the leaders and members of the association to fish out fake persons that were damaging the image of the vocation.
Aniagwu also disclosed that the taskforce would also address issues of illegal structures and trading on the road.
The Director-General of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, Onyemaechi Mrakpor, said, “the state government has no intention of banning Keke and Okada from the state capital territory because we acknowledge their immense contributions to the economic growth of the state and also as a means of employment for the youths.
“After ENDSARS protests that hoodlums unleashed mayhem on the people of the state, we thought things would naturally fall in place but we are now noticing criminal activities in the capital territory. We will not tolerate it”, she declared.
The crimes are such that unsuspecting members of the public are robbed at gunpoint by gangs using tricycles. In some cases after robbing their victim, they kill him/her or even push him/her out of the keke, to die by the wayside.
Mrakpor in defense of genuine operators, said, “The genuine drivers and cyclists in the state do not force people to enter Keke, because they are well behaved. Now, using Keke as means to rob our people is unacceptable to us.”
The DG who expressed belief that the recent trend of criminal activities in the state capital were perpetuated by ‘alien tricycle and motorcycle operators, called on all unit head to put their house in order by fishing out those not registered with them and report suspected criminals to the police immediately to face the law.
“The state government will not give deaf ear nor fold its arms to the activities of these hoodlums, who are not registered or recognized by union or who do not operate within that dictate of the union rules; those who are defacing the environment by littering the state.” Mrakpor stated.
She warned that those guilty of operating illegality and residents who who had turned their premises to dump sites to refrain from such or face the law beginning from Monday, November 23.
The State Chairman Association of Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Operators, Delta State, Obi Nzeke, in his response, pledged the readiness of the union to work with the state government to enforce sanity in their operations of keke and okada.
Nzete, who was represented by the Financial Secretary of the union, Comrade Tony Chukwudi, complained of uniformed security personnel operate commercial motorcycle and tricycle of violating the rules governing the union as well as the intimidation against the union officials, and called for government intervention.
Aniagwu however answered, “Everyone should operate within the rules and we will work to ensure nobody intimidates the union from enforcing the rules no matter how highly placed.
He frowned at the practice by some commercial keke and okada operators coming from distant locations to operate in Asaba, saying such did not only violate their ban from plying the highways but also made them to evade identification protocols to check criminal elements.
“For the security of our people, we will not allow the operators of keke and okada outside their residential towns. Those in Issele-Uku or Ibusa or Ogwashi-Uku should remain in their areas,” Aniagwu stated.
