The commissioner for Transport in Akwa Ibom State, Prince Godwin Ntukude, on Saturday the 11th of January, 2014 had a meeting with keke operators in the state under the ageis of Tricycle Union of Nigeria (T.U.N) at the Ministry’s office at Ben Udo Street, Ewer Housing Estate, Uyo.
The tricycle operators defied the early morning cold and abandoned their businesses to meet with the commissioner to register their complaints on some issues affecting them and to also thank him for standing by them so far since he took over the reins of power in the transport ministry.
They described the commissioner as the Peoples commissioner and even refer to him as Keke commissioner” the Keke operators spoke through their state chairman of the Tricycle Union of Nigeria, Comrade Sunny Enang.
Responding, the commissioner for Transport, Prince Godwin Ntukude thanked all of them for coming out enmasse to meet with him. He described the Keke operators as the wheels that drive the economy of the state since they are the ones who carry people from their homes to everywhere including markets, motor parks, airports etc. He specifically thanked the state governor, Dr Godswill Akpabio for giving him the opportunity to serve in a ministry that he has passion for since he was once a taxi driver.
Prince Ntukude said that the keke operators are very important to the economy of the state and that at the same time they could be destructive to the economy if they decide to use their keke to commit crime and to spread falsehood against the state government. He therefore called for a change of attitude from those who may have indulge in such acts, stating that without a change of attitude the society cannot be better.
The commissioner however warned the keke riders not to park their keke by roadsides near the Ibom plaza area in all the major roads. “ don’t ride your keke on the speed lane, don’t pack your keke along the plaza area in all the major roads, keep moving in one line, don’t ride side by side with another keke except to overtake and join the service lane. If sanity is not maintained in our road within a period of time another policy can be brought out by the government that may not go down well with you people” he cautioned.
The transport boss however advised the tricycle operators to build a unified tricycle body that all tricycle operators in the state will be happy to identify with, noting that unity is strength. He promised them that he will represent them well before the governor if they come to him as a unified body to deliberate on whatever government policy that does not favour them. He also said that the state is fortunate to have such a listening governor as Godswill Akpbio who has such a magnanimous heart to accommodate everyone who has genuine cases and present such cases in an orderly manner to him (the governor).
He however vowed to leave an imprint in the transport ministry before he leaves the ministry, “ I must leave a mark in the transport ministry before I go and I must help the governor to interpret his dream for the people of the state since it takes magnanimity to do what Governor Godswill Akpabio has done for the state.”
The permanent Secretary in the ministry, Elder Offiong Udoffe, on the occasion, took time to stress the importance of Biometric Data Capturing of all tricycles operating in the state.
He used a keke to show the Keke operators how to write the Biometric number boldly and eligibly for easy identification. He however warned against forging the Biometric number and announced that from Monday 13th January all those who do not comply that their Keke will be impounded, stressing that government is determined to maintain sanity on our roads and that to achieve this, compliance to road order must be enforced.
Speaking on behalf of the Keke operators, Mr. Idongesit Udo thanked the governor for protecting them and allowing them to still operate in the state capital. He also thanked the commissioner and the Permanent Secretary for working with the governor to maintain sanity on the roads. He however complained about multiple ticketing within the State capital, selling of tickets on weekends and on public holidays. He said that to decongest the roads, government should help them to rid the roads of roadside keke loaders. He however assured the government of the compliance by Keke operators on government regulations on the roads.
The commissioner responding said that those issues will be taken up at the transport stakeholders meeting and once again promised them of a good representation at the meeting.
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