Re: Tricycle Operators Protest Alleged Police Extortion In Ughelli, A False And Misleading Publication, Says Oromoni

Re: Tricycle Operators Protest Alleged Police Extortion In Ughelli, A False And Misleading  Publication, Says Oromoni

The recent report on daily independent newspaper accusing the Nigeria Police, Ughelli command of extorting tricycle operators is not only false but misleading. 

Chairman of State Taskforce on Environment, Hon. Sylvester Oromoni addressing newsmen at Asaba,

stated that the police impounded 10 tricycles (Keke) for using Federal roads and that was what prompted the protest.

Accusing the police of making offenders to pay five thousand naira for each keke of extortion is not true, but misleading as the monies charged was not even for the police as claimed by the protesters. 

Going forward, the Commissioner for transport waded into the matter and proposed to plead for more time but that does not mean to say that Keke will continue to ply the Federal Government roads. We are coming back for real enforcement Oromoni stressed. 

It is no longer news that the Delta state Government had place a ban on tricycles from using Federal Government roads right from the administration of His Excellency Emmanuel Uduaghan which is still enforced by the present administration of His Excellency Senator Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, from plying the Federal highways. The Taskforce on Environment only came up to enforce the already existing laws of the state and would not be blackmailed or intimated from doing what is right. 

Today, it is estimated that there are well over 100,000 tricycles in the state. Despite the enormous harm they cause, they are growing in number.

Most of the accidents involving commercial cyclists are caused by impatience and non-observance of road signs and traffic rules which have resulted in fatal accidents leading to loss of life. 

Here in Nigeria, the introduction of tricycles many years ago was widely publicised as a poverty mitigation gesture on the part of government since many unemployed youths and other individuals were expected to benefit from it through ownership at subsidised rates. Its coming received a rousing applause by many who had made up their mind never to patronise okada anymore.

Today, every nook and cranny of our pilot cities are bursting to the seams, as it were, by the three-wheeler. What was then generally accepted as a blessing has over time degenerated into a traffic nightmare for road users. For the most part of the day, Keke operators as they are fondly called are seen struggling to outdo other road users with utmost recklessness on the road in their mad rush to beat the traffic, even when traffic is moving smoothly.

Just this week, 3 Keke accidents happened between Niger cat junction and Agbarho with one death recorded. This will reaffirm the Call for urgent enforcement of the traffic laws, since it may be difficult to ban them outrightly in the state. 

Some of the tricycle operators who spoke on condition of anonymity told reporters that the reason they are always in haste is to meet up with daily targets. They explained that it is so for those whose Keke are on hire purchase.

“You know, these tricycles do not belong to the drivers or riders as the case may be; and we pay the owners daily, weekly or monthly. So, any hour missed or lost on traffic gridlock has eaten deep into what we should make for that day. For this reason, we struggle to make that money. The owner does not want to know if there is hold up on the road or not. He is after his money.