Tricycle riders plying ACME, Ikeja routes,
yesterday appealled to the Lagos State Government and well-meaning Nigerians to
come to their rescue, alleging that the State’s Commissioner for Transportation,
Mr. Kayode Opeifa seems bent to take away their only source of income.
The tricycle riders who have their park at Agege
area of the metropolis, yesterday, filed out in a peaceful protest to the secretariat
of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
located along ACME.
They all refused to work, fearful that they
might be arrested by Lagos State Transport Management (LASTMA) officials.
The tricycle riders refusal to work, led to many
commuters, who ordinarily would have boarded tricycles at Agege/Total, trekking
to Agege-Pen Cinema to board commercial buses heading to Alausa secretariat. This
means many commuters who stopped at First Gate Bus-Stop, trekked to their various
offices along ACME route.
The Chairman of the Agege ACME Park Association,
Mr. Ademola Omolewu said: “We were all shocked on Friday afternoon to see the
Commissioner for Transportation. He came to meet us himself! He warned those of
us plying ACME route, to stop immediately. He said that anyone who flouted his order
would be arrested. He also warned that the person’s tricycle would be impounded
for six months, including a fine of N100, 000.”
Omolewu further explained that members of the Association
have tried to find out the reason behind the sudden order, but Opeifa refused
to divulge his reason.
“We have however learned that Boulos Enterprise
wrote a petition against us, that we were disturbing movement at the front of
their gate. Boulos said some tricycle operators used to park in front of their
gate. We also learned that the petition was written four months ago,” said Omolewu.
He said that things had not been easy for the
tricycle operators since Friday that the order was issued.
He noted: “We have families and we can’t feed
them. The worse hit amongst us, are those of us who used to deliver to the
owners of tricycles. The Association has already written a letter to the
government, asking reason Opeifa stopped us from plying the route, which is our
only route.”
The State Vice Chairman
of APC Lagos State secretariat, Mr. Funsho Ologunde, addressing the protesters,
said: “I just learned of the restriction today from some of my staff, who trekked
to office. I’ll look into the matter and get back to you.”
A commuter, who joined
in the protest, identified himself as Mr. Bode Williams.
Apparently angry, he
said: “The government should try to reconsider this latest decision because it
has not been easy coming to work without a tricycle.”
A member of the tricycle
operator, Mr. Moses Adeleke, who is physically challenged, having lost one leg
to accident, said: “I started riding tricycle about three years ago. Tricycle
riding as a source of livelihood helps me to forget that I’m physically challenged.
I’ve been managing with it, until this
latest government decision. Right now, things appear to be falling apart for
me.”
The father of three said
his daily income, was what he and his family depended on. “Right now, I just
don’t know what to do next. I just want government to think twice and assist
us.”
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