By Samuel Ogude(Warri)
It is often said, for every rumour, there is an element of truth. At first, it was a rumour that the Delta State Government may ban the sales of commercial tricycle (Keke) ticket and all forms of illegal collections on the roads across the state by sales agents and touts(Agberos) and a few days later, it filtered into the air that it has actually been announced by the Delta State Government led by Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa that the sales of the ticket in whatever form has been banned.
Against this background, Bailout Magazine went into investigations so as to unraveled the rationale behind government’s decision in less than two months of this political dispensation to wind up. A cross section of Deltans who spoke to our Correspondent said, the decision was taken by the state government to tell Deltans that the government of the Governor- Elect, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is not to be associated with the activities of touts(Agberos).
According to some, it was rather too late a decision saying, the state government should have done this years ago, not this dying minutes as the impact will not be felt since many of the commercial tricycles riders have suffered so much in the hands of tickets task force who are on the roads.
According to many of the commercial tricycle riders (Keke riders), they are still afraid if the state government really meant the decision as they are not too sure if at the expiration of the tenure of Governor Okowa, the three hundred naira (N300) that was earlier paid and later reviewed to two hundred naira daily for the ticket would not be doubled to six hundred naira by the time the Governor- Elect assumes office in May 29 this year.
One of them said:” Many of us are not sure if the state government meant what it saying because, by the time, Governor Okowa leaves office, the incoming government of Governor –Elect, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori may move it to six hundred naira(N600) so, well, I don’t know”.
To some, it was rumoured in some quarters that the state government banned the sales of the ticket and other forms of collections on the roads because the money collected allegedly does not get the government’s coffers.
Some others who spoke said, it is impossible for the state government to totally forgo this ticket money collection because those who have turned it to office ( a means of livelihood) must lobby the government to ensure the tickets sellers(agents) are back on the roads.
One of them who did not want his name in print said:” Let me be frank with you, there is no way the government can do away with ticket money because many of them who have been feeding fat on it, cannot do without it, they must lobby to ensure the ticket sellers(agents) are back on the roads to sell and collect this money because, they are already used to it. Nobody would want his food be taken from his mouth”.
Reacting this development, the National President, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Prince Dr. Kehinde Taiga said, it is not the question of the state government just saying it, but it (government) should be implemented. According to him, if the state government meant what it has said, it should direct the Commissioner of Police in Delta State who will in turn direct Area Commanders and the Divisional Police Officers across the state and enforce it by apprehending anybody seen collecting ticket money and other forms of illegal collections in the state.
He said:” It is a welcome development that the government has banned ticket sales and all forms of touts’ illegal collections in the state but the problem we have is the implementation. It is not just saying it, but it should be implemented. Until state government implements what it said, Deltans would not believe”.
According to Prince Dr Taiga, it is not proper that the government has given the directive yet one still finds agents using the touts to molest commercial tricycles (Keke riders) over their failure to purchase the same ticket along the roads saying, this would be unfair. Prince Dr. Taiga said however, if the government can really stand and implement what it has said, then, Commercial tricyclists (Keke riders) should commend the state government for this gesture.
On his part, the Chairman, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Delta State branch, Comrade Jonathan Giama said, now that the state government is banning the sales of tickets for commercial tricycles (Keke) operators and all form of collections across the state, it has not done anything useful with the money realized from the sales of the tickets for the years they were sold.
According to Comrade Giama, the state government had earlier said, the main reason for this ticket sales was a welfare scheme for commercial tricycles riders ( take care of the tricycles- keke riders) and others but to the surprise of everyone, one can hardly see what the state government has done with the money it made from the sales of the ticket so far.
He said:” Now that the state government is banning this sales of ticket across the state at this dying minutes, what has it done with the money realized from its sales over the years? Nothing!”
When our Correspondent went round the Warri and its environment, many of the touts are seen collecting money from tricycle riders after loading their tricycles especially in Estate Round about close to Total Filling Stations.
It is longer news that many commercial tricycles riders have had course to fight with the ticket task force on the roads over what is described as late purchase of the ticket by the tricycles riders in the state, a situation which has led to bloodshed on the roads . With this new development, it is hoped that the state government would stand by its decision in this regard.