Anambra Govt engages Keke riders, shuttle bus drivers as they embark on strike

Officials of Anambra State Government on Saturday met with commercial tricycles operators and shuttle bus drivers, over the strike action embarked upon by them.

For two days (Thursday and Friday), the operators have been engaging in a protest, refusing to ferry passengers around Awka.

Their grouse was the insistence of the state government to task them N15,000 monthly as tax.

The operators also complained that beyond the N15,000 levy, touts who have been outlawed in the state were still collecting revenues from them.

The state Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, who addressed the protesters at Ekwueme Square, Awka, noted that the state government is making frantic efforts to resolve the revenue issue which necessitated his presence at the meeting.

“We call on the union to conduct themselves in an orderly manner so that their views will be heard to enable the government take decisions that will benefit all, as the state government places the priority of all its citizens in due considerations,” Ibezim said.

Also, the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Security, Air Vice Marshal Ben Chiobi (Rtd), explained that the meeting was a democratic approach in having a direct link with tricycle riders in settling the revenue issue.

“The resistance was probably from misunderstanding or intentional misinformation from the leadership as the agreement was made initially with proper consultations with the unions.

“The meeting has provided us the ample opportunity to have direct contact with the riders and drivers and we promise that more meetings will be held to resolve the issue.”

Some Keke riders who spoke during the meeting, including Mr. Anthony Ejike and Mr. Ifeanyi emphasized that the N15,000 monthly pay by tricycle riders is quite huge to be paid once and suggested a reduction and a convenient payment process to be arranged.