Council Boss Explains Ban, Registration Of Keke In OBALGA

The Chairman, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Hon Solomon Abel Eke, has said that the recent restriction of trycycle popularly called “keke”, operation time to 7pm and the biometric registration of commercial vehicle operators in the area was yielding positive result towards addressing the security challenges in the area.
The Chairman who disclosed this recently during an interview with newsmen at the council headquarters, Rumuodamaya, said the purpose of the biometric registration of all commercial vehicles and their drivers was to properly identify the authentic operators of the vehicles, with a view to ensuring that the lives and property of the citizens in the area were secured.
According to him, the restriction of operation time to 7pm for Keke drivers and the biometric exercise are yielding result as part of the measures to check the insecurity that was posing a major threat to the area.
He disclosed that the biometric exercise was in partnership with Multi Mesh Communication and Zenith Bank Plc, stressing “We want all commercial drivers and Keke operators operating in the area to be registered, including tracking device, as well as have their registration number boldly written on the vehicle, so that if there are (is) any vehicle related crime committed, any where you may be, we will track you down.’’
He urged commercial drivets to cooperate with the council in a bid to provide peaceful and safe environment for people to live and do business.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman, Keke Owners Association in the area, Chukuma Otu Wabali, enjoined keke operators in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area to come out enmasse to register in the biometric exercise to enable them protect their image and do their business devoid of any molestation.
A trader, Mrs Ijeoma Wagbara, whose business extends beyond 7pm, lamented the level of hard times the ban on Keke had caused her and her business, saying that they had to treck long distance to get to where commercial vehicles were available. Also, an executive member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the area, Benjamin Igbigwe, said that the ban on Keke had inflicted a lot of hardship on workers, civil servants, and traders whose activities extend beyond 7pm.