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By Amos Odeh,Yenagoa
Tricycles operators under the aegis of Bayelsa Indigenous Tricycle Riders Association, (BITRA), have protested what they alleged are plans to stop them from selling their own tickets like other tricycle groups in the state.
Chairman of the tricycle operators’ association, Comrade Okoli Afori, who spoke through their public relations officer, Comrade Thomas Kroseide, told journalists that contrary to claims that their group was illegal, BITRA was legitimately registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
He said the association was legally registered by young tricycle operators, with members drawn from the eight local government areas of the state.
“We’re a registered body with the CAC. Our membership is drawn from indigenous tricycle riders from the eight council areas of the state. BITRA is an umbrella body with a view to empowering Bayelsa State citizens who were into commercial tricycle riding business.
“Our quest was to defend undue monopoly by the non-indigenes and incessant extortions on the roads. This was because we’re desirous of creating employment. You can see that BITRA has reduced crimes and criminality in the state.
“But prior to the registration of BITRA with the Corporate Affairs Commission, we have suffered exploitation from the police, Road Safety corps and other law enforcement agencies over frivolous offences”, he said.
The association therefore called on the state governor, Senator Douye Diri, to call to order public officers operating in a clandestine manner to frustrate them from their noble objectives, adding that over the years, some quarters of the nation had stereotyped the Bayelsa youths as lazy.
“We don’t want the non-indigenes to dominate the tricycle operations, but to allow our members also contribute to the state internally generated revenue”, the group said.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, the state chairman of the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Comrade Ifie Oyinkuro Ereboh, denied claims made by the BITRA members.
Ereboh who also spoke on the proliferation of motor parks in the state said his union and other sister unions were working toward addressing the issue for the safety of all passengers, describing the trend as worrisome.
The RTEAN chairman cautioned against illegal sale of tickets and collection of fees by unauthorized, non-affiliate members of his association and other registered and gazetted sister transport unions.
He said his association had never stopped BITRA from operating as a tricycle group as the members claim, save for urging them to follow what he described as the right way of obtaining the leave to operate as a trade union.
“Already BITRA under their false protest have petitioned and sued RTEAN and myself to the national industrial court.
“But I think the right thing should be done before they could operate as a trade union. For us in RTEAN, we’re a gazetted trade union”, he said.
On whether the actions of BITRA are illegal or not, he said it’s up to the Industrial Court to decide, adding that members of BITRA have been severally warned against their actions, but they refused to heed the warnings.
Also, Dounbara Kwokwo, the authorised revenue collecting agent (Doupere Ventures), harmonized taxation, said the actions of BITRA are tantamount to breach of the peace and stability of the relative peace in the state, describing their protest and collection of money and issuing tickets were illegal.
He said the state only recognized the three gazetted tricycles bodies, adding that nobody is frustrating their efforts as they are free to operate alongside with other tricycle unions. He however noted that they should desist from collecting and issuing illegal receipts to unsuspecting public.
“Anybody is free to register any company of group from CAC, but that did not permit them to dabble into other unions’ duties,” he said.
He disclosed that they had been invited to meet and the meeting was attended by the technical adviser to the governor on treasury, Timipre Seipulou, the commissioner for Transport, Grace Ekiotene, where BITRA members were warned against their activities and informed that any attempt to disobey they will be arrested and face the full wrath of the law.
