By Peter Uzoma
But for the ongoing election petition tribunal handling cases instituted against the victory of Owelle Rochas Okorocha as governor of Imo State from the April 2015 elections, commercial tricycle operators in the state would have bidden bye to the municipal council of Owerri, where the state government had given them (keke operators) hundred days to quit.
On getting the mandate for another four years after being sworn in by the Chief Judge of the state on May 29, Okorocha began with new policies which he reportedly stated may not go down well with the people of the state.
Part of the new measures, the governor said will renew Owerri, the state capital in line with the latest programme of the government known as “Imo, My Pride” project, is the ban on keke operation in Imo. Okorocha at a public function reportedly disclosed that keke operators need only 100 days to quit business in the municipality as plans to introduce a special taxi scheme have reached advanced stages. A four-seater Suzuki brand of car had already flooded the state for takeoff before the sudden volte-face. As mixed reactions continue to greet the proposed plan to stop keke operations, Okorocha through his media unit denied such development adding that it exists only in the mind of anti-government elements.
However, Trumpeta learnt that the fear of the unknown on the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Owerri is responsible for the relax of the proposed keke ban. It would be recalled that few of the governorship contestants, including Okorocha’s main challenger and PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, rushed to the tribunal.
In order not to lose his support base which is grassroots comprising keke operators, Okorocha halted the ban on keke pending the outcome of the tribunal. Government House sources revealed that fear of unknown and uncertainty associated with tribunal cases made the governor to pipe low and reduce the level of drastic measures he has declared intentions to prosecute.
Apart from the keke ban, destruction of illegal structures and end to street trading on major roads in the state capital are part of the new measures the Okorocha government injected into the system.
Field and security reports were said to have forced the governor to have a rethink about banning keke operators, believed to be his foot soldiers and crusaders during the elections.
Okorocha through his media unit denied the plot even as the governor while interacting with their leaders allegedly gave them 100 days notice to quit.
The Suzuki-brand of cars expected to replace keke are said to be a business interest of one influential personality close to the governor. The leadership of the keke riders were said to have caved into the governor’s new project when Okorocha lured them with the “car owner” mantra. Each of the keke riders who dumps his/her machine for the metro cab is expected to pay above one million naira under an arrangement.
