Over 500 tricycle operators yesterday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital blocked the government house gate and disrupted movement of other road users to protest the alleged excess taxation by some government agents.
The protesters alleged that they were being harassed and intimidated by the so called agents for not complying to the payment of N3,400 fee by the State Ministry of Works.
The tricycle operators, who besieged the government house gate, also blocked the entrance of the ministry of works, preventing the commissioner, Engr Fedelix Nweze and other government officials from gaining entrance to the area.
It was gathered that they were in the government house to ascertain if the levy was actually imposed on them by the state government and to urge the state government to wade into the leadership crisis rocking the union.
The protest which lasted for more than one hour saw most passengers trekking long distance, while others waited for the operators to commence operation.
One of the protesters, Mr. Ikpofu Collins who decried the continued harassment and intimidation members of the union are currently facing in the hands of the taskforce members, regretted that many of then have been forced to abandon the business because of the intimidation.
According to him: “it is regrettable and unfortunate that most cases, when they impound our tricycle and we are asked to come to their office, when you get there, regrettably, it is either your keke would be missing or you won’t see the battery again.
“Daily, we get reports of missing seized Keke, the tyres, radio sets among others.
“When we make inquiry on the way about of the missing Keke, we will not get positive answer. We decided to come to government house to peacefully protest to the government and for them to come to our aid”.
Meanwhile, it took the quick intervention of Senior Special Assistant, SSA to Governor Umahi on security, Mr. Kenneth Ugbala to evacuate the protesters from the gate to pave way for the government functionaries, including the Acting governor, Barr. Kelechi Igwe to enter into the office.
Ugbala said that there had been leadership crisis in the union in the last one year, adding that government had to dissolve the two factions to allow peace reign within the union.
He further stated that the state government would soon meet with the two factional leadership in a bid to resolving the crisis. He commended then for their peaceful disposition despite the crisis.
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