The Co-ordinator, Anambra Keke Drivers Forum (AKDF), Awka, Comrade Osita Obi, has called on Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to urgently take drastic action against the unlawful operations of the Anambra State Consolidated Emblem General Unified Clearance, 2025 before they demarket him and his government, especially now the winds of the November 8 Governorship election is on top gear in the state.
Osita Obi, who made the call during press interview in Awka, described the activities of the group as what he explained as not only zip off, but fraudulent, saying that the unwarranted activities of the group is demarketing Governor Soludo and Anambra state government.
He said that this caliber of tricycles ( Keke truck), to be precise were before now exempted from the payment of the emblems of various types in the state following the letter he personally wrote to the Governor, adding that he was surprised when Mr. Chukwuemeka Agbasiri, a keke truck rider, called him this morning only to complain to him that his truck was sized by this group because he did not pay for the controversial emblem.
“When I came to their office at Arroma, they were bragging alleging that they are working for the Governor and above all campaigned for him during the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Comrade Obi, who noted that the group was demanding N25,000, only from Mr.Agbasiri, wondered why he should pay such amount of money to the group and where will he get the money from as a poor keke truck rider.
“So, I am asking that this issue should be disbanned as they are bring bad name to Governor Soludo, the man that had laboured to work for the state and some people are just starting to come from the street and begin to extort N25,000, on behalf of him for no just course.
Comrade Obi,who categorically stated that Governor Soludo does not know anything about the unwholesome activities of the group in the state, pleaded with the Governor to call the leadership of the group to order to avoid further escalation of their dehumanizing programmes in the state, describing them as not only hubbubs, but street draughts.
He vehemently demanded that the times the group had wasted Mr.Agbasiri in the course of his duty should be paid black to him by the group with the argument that Mr.Agbasiri will be leaving Awka without his keke truck to Onitsha now and will come back tomorrow to determine his already lost fate from the group due to their man’s humanity to man activities.
“Imagine, the whole day has gone and tomorrow he will also go. So, l am demanding that they should give him back his truck, not only giving back him his truck, but should pay him for the two wasted days”,Obi requested.
The Comrade, who spoke among other things, wants Governor Soludo to take drastic action against the illegal activities of the group in the streets of the state immediately, reemphasizing that they are demarketing him and Anambra state government equally.
“The group may have the impression that they are working for the Governor, that is wrong, look at the election, look at what they are doing, telling somebody to pay N25,000, from where?.
“This is a man that pays internally generated revenue (IGR) to Anambra state government”, he reported.
Narrating his ordeals, Mr. Chukwuemeka Agbasiri, a native of Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra state, lamented that he fed from the keke business together with his family members, saying that he was not the true owner of the truck,but leveraging on daily pays.
The keke drivers, who stated that he came from Onitsha to carry some goods in Awka, confirmed that the group apprehended him before the Amawbia fly- over as at 8 o’clock am today and took him to their office at Arroma junction, demanding N25,000, emblem fee from him.
“I brought out those emblems that are with me, but they rejected all of them,even when I was telling them that we are exempted from paying for the emblems, but enrollment,they did not listen to me”, Agbasiri cried out.
He added that he further pleaded with them to press his keke number with their cell phone to ascertain his true identification, but overtly refused,telling him that the only thing they will accept from him is the emblem which they said that is mandatory for every keke rider in the state and that he is duty bound to buy it including other riders in the area.
“They took my keke to Arroma. So I have been here since 8 o’clock till now and I have no other opinion other than to call the Co-ordinator, Comrade Obi for my rescue”, he added.
.
