By Okey Alozie
The days of the General Manager of ENTRACO may be numbered if the state of refuse dumps and filth on Owerri streets and environs are anything to go by.
Available information to Trumpeta has it that reasons why the GM should be on his way out of the agency incharge of cleanliness in the town arise from the unhappy moments the state government is expressing over the inability of the ENTRACO to combat refuse dump in the state.
It was learnt even before he travelled and based on outcry from residents of the state over heaps of refuse dumps scattered across the state especially in the capital city, the Governor, according to information, was not satisfied with last clean up exercise, coupled with huge amount which was said to have been sunk to keep Imo clean.
Some of the people who spoke to our reporter on the broadened of dirty environment advised the Governor to bring an indigene of Owerri to replace Alex Emezie. The aggrieved Imolites accused ENTRACO officials of Extorting money from motorist and commuters during clean up exercise.
ENTRACO worker are being accused of illegal acts on Douglas road, Control Post and Aba road.
Motorists and commuters operating along the axis of Okigwe, Orlu, World Bank, MCC, Egbu and Tetlow roads on Friday went on demonstration against alleged illegal taskforce of ENTRACO that disturbs them. They drivers begged governor to come to their rescue.
What was also said to have angered the governor to thinker of a change of baton at ENTRACO office are serious of allegations from residents of the state bothering on harassment, and undue extortion workers of the agency were being accused of.
It would be recalled that commercial drivers had more facts has continued to emerge why angry Imo bus drivers, popularly known as ‘Busimo’ stormed the streets of Owerri last Friday, protesting over extortion by different task forces on motorists.
According to facts made available to Trumpeta, the protesters who blocked the roundabout on Okigwe road and the entrance to Imo Government house on, gathered themselves from Wethedral, Douglas, Mbaise Road, Okigwe road, MCC/Uratta road and Amakohia axis to register their grievances over what they termed “over extortion” in the name of task forces.
One of the drivers who spoke to Trumpeta on anonymity for fear of victimization expresses that the number of task forces on the road have created too many troubles for them as they now spend over N3,000 in settling groups of task forces on daily basis.
He further stated that there were no visible marked bus stops on the road as to say exactly where they will stop to pick or drop passengers.
According to another driver simply known as Timo, “It is quiet painful that we don’t have any place to rest.
He noted that most of them were displaced by the past administration after their shops and businesses were demolished in the name of urbanization so they resulted to driving busimo only for some elements to start molesting and harassing them in the name of unwanted task forces.
While urging the state government to come to their aid by stopping such unnecessary extortions, he pointed out that they are bread winners in their family and most of them have children in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions looking up to them for fees and other needs.
He said,”I beg the government to please stop these men they are punishing us in Imo state”.
