By:Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa.
Aggrieved Tri-cycle operators under the aegis of Tri-cycle Riders Transporters Association, Bayelsa State,popularly called KEKE riders and a Bayelsa state based human rights group, ZUONAKI HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE have petitioned the Bayelsa State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps over alleged incessant extortion, intimidation and harrassment of Tricycle operators by Men and Officers of the sector command.
The petition contained in a statement signed by Ebiserikumo Jason for Zounaki Human Rights Initiative and Comrade Kilibo Tonye and Timipre Mezeh for the aggrieved Tri-cycle operators, frowned at the injustice metted on them on daily basis, saying that it is a violation of their fundamental human rights.
The petitioners noted that persistent, indiscriminate activities of the officers,ranging from extortion and imposition of arbitrary fines in the guise of overload, expired tyres, brake light failure amongst other offences are not enforceble in other neighbouring states of Delta, Rivers and sister states of the South-SouthSouth-South Geopolitical zone.
The aggrieved Transporters emphasised that the Federal Road Safety Corps which had permitted Tri-cycle to commute a maximum of four passengers while issuing vehicle particulars has now turned to impose overloading charges within the range of N10,000 – N7,000 respectively on their members just as they allege that their parent unions,National union of road transport workers,NURTW,Tricycle owners association of Nigeria,TOAN,and the Tricycle readers and employees association of Nigeria,RTEAN has since abandoned them upon complaining.
The affected operators have therefore appealed to the Sector Commander to urgently intervene and call its Officers to order as they are being pushed to the wall.
” In addition, it is an indisputable fact that the officers and men of the FRSC State Command headquarters are wicked, heartless, cruel and barbaric persons that claimed to be regulatory operators in various Highways and Roads in Bayelsa State where they are carrying out their naferious activities based on double standards of adjudications and operational tradition and culture that are not widely accepted in Nigeria and Overseas”.The said.
“We therefore call on the high authorities of the Presidency, Abuja, including FGN Ministry of Defence, Internal Affairs, Youths Development, Niger Delta Affairs, Information, Finance and Police Affairs to immediately Wade into the matter by calling on FRSC Command, NPF, Traffic Wardens, Various Roads/Motor-Park, Touts/Agberos and other heartless collaborators/criminals that are carrying out unauthorized and unapproved duties against Tri-cycle Transport Operators to order; and make them to carry out their legitimate and approved duties in line with Harmonised and United Standard Existing everywhere in Nigeria and Overseas.”They added.
” That all Tri-cycle vehicles arrested, detained and withheld by FRSC Authorities in Yenagoa, together with their individual operators and owners should be released ” UNCONDITIONAL” because ” two wrongs cannot make a right” as it is commonly and popularly said”, the statement concluded.
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