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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa Development Initiative (BDI) has condemned the state governor, Douye Diri, for his “continuous ban on night operations of commercial tricycles popularly known as Keke in Yenagoa, the state capital.”
In a statement signed by its secretary, Michael Sam Rodamini, BDI said it was insensitive and unimaginable for the governor to have allowed a ban, which was supposed to have been a stop-gap measure, to last beyond one month.
Rodamini said for Diri to have “feigned ignorance of the overall destructive impact of his ban on the general economy especially on nightlife was a confirmation of his lack of capacity and cluelessness in handling issues affecting the state.”
While condemning the incident that led to the ban, he said it should have since been lifted to ease the pains of the helpless masses who did not have private vehicles to undertake their activities after 7pm.
He said since Keke had become the only popular means of transport in the state especially for the masses, adding that the ban had worsened the condition of the poor and made quick responses to emergency situations difficult.
Rodamini said for Diri to have allowed the ban to linger even in the face of ongoing inclement weather caused by the rainy season was “a demonstration of his absolute lack of care and concern for the common people of the state.”
He further said the group had received reports of many Bayelsans attacked and robbed by criminal elements while trekking on dark, lonely roads and streets at night to their destinations.
He observed that the ban had increased the insecurity in the state especially in view of the pitch darkness that usually envelops the state at night following dysfunctional streetlights across the entire capital city.
Rodamini, however, commended the Labour Party governorship candidate for the November 11 election, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, for identifying with the plight of the masses by consistently calling on the government to lift the ban.
He said: “We have consistently said that this government of Douye Diri is ‘one chance’ for the people. The government has demonstrated lack of capacity, cluelessness and incompetence in handling common issues and making simple decisions affecting the wellbeing of the state.
“Banning Keke at night, providing no alternative and allowing such ban to linger and pretending that all is well despite its negative effects on the people especially in this rainy season only emphasized the anti-people position of this government.
“We thank the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, for always speaking out for the masses. We are also calling on Douye Diri to immediately lift the ban to ameliorate the plight of the masses”.
