By Praise Chinecherem
The Chief Organiser, Tricycle/Motorcycle Drivers’ Welfare, Anambra State, Chief Arunsi Igbaniuka has called on operators of tricycles and motorcycles not to be involved in any protest organised by touts, unions and cabals in any part of the State.
Igbaniuka spoke to newsmen in Onitsha when he announced that there would be an enlightenment symposium at Board of Internal Revenue, Arena, Awka Wednesday, November 30, 2022 for the drivers of Keke and motorcyles.
He said all the problems of Keke/ Motorcycle drivers started with the activities of touts, unions and cabals, who he said intimidate, humiliate, harass and even kill them.
“Our people need to understand the truth. We need to explain to them that whoever fights the Government puts himself in trouble because Government wants to liberate the drivers but the unions are using them against themselves. That is what we are going to do at Awka on Wednesday,” he said.
According to Igbaniuka, it was the unions that compelled the drivers to charge exhorbitant fares, saying that Unions form alliance with Keke/ Motorcycle drivers to carry out riots and protests so as to bring confusion within the Government.
He added, “That’s why we say that from henceforth, there will be peace from drivers with the understanding that all this touts/ unions are illegal.
“Unfortunately, these touts/unions still extort money secretly from our drivers, they still harass and intimidate people.
“It’s also unfortunate that some of these touts have joined Government Enforcement agents, yet they are still secretly extorting money from our drivers through their boys, showing that these touts, unions and cabals are not sincere with the Government of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.”
Igbaniuka said drivers still stood on those promises Governor Soludo made to them on March 18, 2022, at St. Lwanga Catholic Church, Okpoko, where he said he would ban touts and work with drivers themselves.
“The Governor repeated the promise at Oba, Idemili Local Government Area when he flagged-off the drug market.”
While advising drivers that the best option is to dialogue with the government, Igbaniuka maintained that it was only unscrupulous people who introduced bad thing to cause unnecessary confusion with the new government.
“We are saying nobody will use us again. We are strongly on the side of the Government. We will do anything Government says.
“We will make sure all hands are on deck to make this Government succeed so that the Government will give us the best of infrastructures: road, security, education, every other thing. If we don’t like any Government policy, we will go for dialogue instead of fighting,” he added.
Igbaniuka further called on drivers applying different routes in Anambra State to be law abiding, stressing that if drivers and Government are not partners, criminals would take that advantage to unleash terror on the people.
“I call on drivers especially those of them at Awka to support Governor Soludo’s government so that there will be an enduring peace. We also ask Government to give us approval to take control of ourselves,” he noted.
