The Enugu state Association of Tricycle Riders (Keke) and Operators Union has debunked a political motivated rumour being circulated on social media that gov Ugwuanyi imposed levy on Keke operators in order to raise campaign funds.
In a statement issued this afternoon at Enugu, the chairman of the association, Hon Benjamin Ikah said, rather than the false news that gov Ugwuanyi imposed 6,000 naira drivers permit to the Keke operators, that the governor came to their rescue and reduced the money being extorted from them by revenue agents from 18,000 naira to 6,000 naira.
According to Hon Ikah, before the gov’s intervention, the Keke operators were paying between 18,000 naira to 22,000 naira being collected by different agencies and groups. He therefore thanked gov Ugwuanyi for acting on their petition to his office which brought the payment down to 6,000 naira annually.
He equally asked the carriers of such fake news targeted at maligning and severing the good working relationship between them and the working governor of Enugu state NOT to use the Association to play politics again.
Below is the Press Release as obtained as obtained by AIF Media.
Chairman of Enugu State Tricycle (Keke) Riders Transport Union’s response to Bede Chukwuekezie’s false accusation against Enugu Governor…
“The recent allegation by one Bede Chukwuekezie that the Enugu State Governor wants to use Keke Riders in the state to raise money for his re-election campaign, following the introduction of reduced and harmonized fee of N6000 is false, baseless and mischievous.
This is yet another wicked and desperate act of the originator of this smear campaign and tissues of lies in a failed attempt to achieve a selfish political end.
As the Chairman of Association of Tricycle (Keke) Riders Transport Union, Enugu State, I wish to put the records straight as follows:
That it was we, the Keke riders in Enugu State, in conjunction with the Okada riders that wrote an official letter to His Excellency, the Governor appealing to him to consider the RIDER’S PERMIT in place of the outrageous N18,000 and N22, 000 we pay respectively to obtain Driver’s License from the Federal Road Safety Commission, in order to ameliorate our sufferings.
After an extensive deliberation and negotiation with the state government, we the Keke and Okada riders unanimously agreed to be paying N6,000 for Rider’s Permit, which is renewable after three years, courtesy of the magnanimity of our kind-hearted Governor, Gburugburu.
We unanimously agreed to pay direct to the coffers of the state’s treasury every three years as Rider’s Permit.
Consequently, we sincerely wish to use this medium to once again thank our PEOPLES’ GOVERNOR for coming to our rescue when it mattered most, through the introduction of the RIDER’S PERMIT, which is far much cheaper and favorable to us.
No operator who has a National Driver’s License is requested to obtain a Rider’s Permit till it expires.
Importantly, let it be on record that Keke riders in Enugu State are not up to 200,000 as was mischievously alleged by the detractors, Bede Chukwuekezie, but only about 40,000 in number.
We therefore, advise the likes of Bede and his cohorts, who for their selfish political interest are bent on fabricating false information against the Governor and his people-oriented administration, not to use our association to play politics again, because we are at home and happy with the decision on Rider’s Permit as well as the programmes and policies of the state government. They should not cry more than the bereaved.
Enugu State is truly in the hands of God.
Signed:
Comrade Benjamin Ikah,
Chairman, Association of Tricycle (KEKE) Riders Transport Union, Enugu State”.
