Tricycle riders in Enugu State, on Friday took to the streets to protest against what they described as daily extortion, harassment, and corruption by the state chairman of the Amalgamated Tricycle Riders Union, Mr. Kingsley Edeh, and the Commissioner of Transportation, Dr Obi Ozor.
The protesters alleged that the ministry of transportation, in collaboration with the union chairman, has been charging them N200 daily, making their daily levy N750, contrary to the N550 announced by the Enugu State government.
The protesters, who gathered around Edinburgh in the Enugu North Local Government Area, called on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene urgently and bring those involved to book.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Anike Calistus, lamented the harassment and extortion they face on a daily basis from the taskforce team of the Ministry of Transport, allegedly in collaboration with the state union chairman.
“They only care about their gain, not our welfare,” Calistus said.
WATCH: Tricycle Riders In Enugu Protest Over Daily Extortion, Harassment By Union Chairman, Commissioner pic.twitter.com/MmiAieF99t
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Another protester, who simply identified himself as Stanley, alleged that a group from the state Ministry of Transport forces them to pay N1000.
In the midst of that, there are other groups that call for clarification on the levies and rules for Keke riders in the state.
The protesters demanded the removal of the union chairman in the state and the commissioner for transport over corruption allegations.
They appealed to the Enugu State Government to address their grievances and ensure transparency in the collection of levies.
SaharaReporters gathered that the Industrial Court had previously barred the Riders Transport Union from collecting dues in Enugu State, citing irregularities.
The protesters therefore called on the state government to take concrete steps to address the corruption and extortion they face daily.
However, the state government is yet to respond to the allegations made by the protesters at the time of filing the report.