Daji Sani
Tricycle riders protested over exploitation in the name of taxes in Adamawa state.
The action carried out by Tricycle riders paralysed business activities in the state capital over the numerous dues being paid by them.
The riders forced business owners to shut down for fear of vandalism.
The protesters barricaded all the four roads linking the Mubi roundabout causing traffic jam in Jimeta modern market.
Usman lbrahim one of the leaders of the tricycle riders said: “We are protesting because of the charges we are being subjected to pay every day”
“We pay N100 in the morning and by noon, they ask you to pay another N100. More worrisome is that if you ride into Yola South from Yola North, you pay another money even when you can hardly differentiate between the two local government areas,” he
said.
“Apart from this amount we also pay N6,500 every year to the state government through the Ministry of Transportation,” another rider said.
The riders also accused the Jimeta Marshall established by Yola North Local Government council, who always force them to pay money even without giving receipt sometimes.
“We blocked this roads because we leant that the governor will pass through this road today, this is only way the governor will not only hear our complain but also see us and help us to address this problem,” David Samuel added.
When contacted, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Barrister Asiyale Ananze, said the ministry introduced ICT registration of all tricycle owners and riders in the state to reduce security challenges involving tricycle popularly known as (Keke Napep).
“What we did, was asking them to buy a form for N,1000 and another N3,000 which was paid to the Board of Internal Revenue, the N3000 is an annual fee for all tricycle in the state, it is not true that we collected N6,500,” the permanent secretary said.
“Since we introduced the this ICT registration of tricycles, we have been able to trace and recover items stolen from their passengers by the shila boys criminals”.
As at the time of filling this report, the office of the Jimeta Marshall is being destroyed by the aggrieved Keke riders.
Efforts to reach the Jimeta Marshall Commander failed as he was said to be having meeting with the chairman of Yola North, while the Commissioner of Police Adamawa State Command S.K Akande, who was at the scene of the event, refused to comment.
