Crackdown on activities of touts: Abak Transition Chairman sacks illegal Motor Parks as “one chance operators” run for cover

...The Council’s action is a breach of contract -  Management of Ekemini Motor Park

Emmanuel Udosen

Last Friday, Ekemini Motor Park along Ikot Abasi road in Abak was sealed on the order of the Transition Committee Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Udosen for alleged illegal operation. Speaking with our reporter on phone shortly after the motor pack had been locked, the chairman said it was part of the committee’s commitment to sanitize the transport sub-sector and bring orderliness to Abak township which hitherto had been untidy; stressing that the illegal tricycle (Keke) park near the Post Office and the one near the flanks of Bishop Clark’s Primary School, along Ikot Ekpene road would be shown the way out of illegality this week. Dr. Udosen explained that the three motor parks had since been intimated in writing to move to Abak main Motor Park for easy management and control, adding that it was at the expiration of the written order that the council struck.

As government bans ‘Keke’ ticketing in the meantime BY GODWIN SAM

Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh

There is an adage in Ibibio land which states that “Akpan minama nte aya-ana anwan ete, ete idoho annwan ino enye” literally meaning that “if the first son does not do as if  he wants to sleep with his stepmother, the father will not see the need to marry a wife for him”.  This adage applies directly to the situation that happened last week in Uyo, where tricycle operators in their quest to attract government’s attention to their plights, resorted to street protest, downing their tools for two days and stopping their counterparts from carrying out commercial activities in the state. 

 
The tricycle operators numbering hundreds took to the streets on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st of January, 2014, to protest the multiple ticketing they are forced to buy daily to be able to operate within the Uyo metropolis. Investigation by THE INK revealed that to operate within the Uyo Metropolis, the tricycle operators have to buy tickets of N250 from each of the four local government areas making up Uyo metropolis, which sometimes amounts to N1000 in a day. 

Transport commissioner meets Keke operators in Uyo

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.