Proliferation Of Motorparks: NURTW Indicts Akwa Ibom Govt
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Akwa Ibom State chapter, has accussed the state government of complacency in the fight against the proliferation of motorparks across the state.
The union said the relevant government agencies which should enforce the laws against the operations and patronage of such illegal parks appears to be promoting the illegality.
Speaking on the issue in Uyo, chairman of Itam Long Distance Park, Mr Austine Edet, reasoned that the Akwa Ibom State government lacks the political will to stop the activities of touts who operate illegal parks scattered across the state, particularly in the state capital.
He said government officials encourage drivers to pick passengers along the way and so abandoned government-approved parks built by the former Governor Victor Attah administration in the state.
“Five major parks within Uyo have practically been abandoned for the illegal ones in defiance to the law against it. Unfortunately, there is no enforcement of the said law.
“It is government that is responsible for the illegal parks in the state. When they make laws, it is not just making the laws but enforcing it.
“In the Year 2000, the former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, completed five parks in Uyo metropolis and sent an Executive Bill to the state House of Assembly to ensure that nobody stays outside the government-approved park to load vehicles.
“The law was Cap 55, Vol. 3 2000. This law was to enable the transport union establish Anti-Touting Miscellaneous Offences Task Force so that nobody stays outside the government park to load vehicles,” he said.
Some operators of the government-approved parks in Uyo also blamed officials of the state Ministry of Transport and Solid Minerals for the proliferation of illegal parks.
According to them, it has contributed to the lack of passengers at the legal parks and is responsible for the Ministry’s inability to clamp down on the illegal parks located along Aka, Oron, Abak and Ikot Ekpene roads.
Pleading anonymity, some sources alleged that many of the Illegal parks make remittances to senior officials of the ministry who in turn “protect” them by their non-challance attitude in regulating the operation of motor parks in the state.
They however call on relevant government agencies to revisit Cap 55, Vol. 3 2000, noting that the activities in the illegal parks are impacting negatively on their businesses.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner of Transport and Solid Minerals, Mr Etim Uno, to react to the allegations proved abortive as repeated calls to his mobile phone were not attended to.
However, the Akwa Ibom State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Oga Ochi, said the commission frowns at the non-usage of the designated motorparks.
He explained that he had met with the state House of Assembly Committee on Works and Transport on the matter, and they had directed the FRSC to work with the relevant agencies to remove illegal motor parks from the state.
He said plans have been concluded to restrict the loading and offloading of passengers to the five recognised parks in Uyo before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the arrangement.
“I had the privilege of addressing the committee in the House of Assembly on the dangers of the existence of illegal parks.
“I think the committee actually frowned at the existence of those illegal parks and had cause to direct the FRSC to work along with other agencies of government to ensure those illegal parks are removed from the environment.
“We also have a relationship with the dtate Ministry of Transport. We started something with them but unfortunately COVID-19 affected some of those activities that we started with them.
“As it is, the prevalence of COVID-19 is still an issue in the country and Akwa Ibom State. Because of that, the enforcement that would have taken off has not really taken off in the state,” he said.
The FRSC Sector Commander said the proliferation of motorparks is not healthy as it posed a security challenge to the Corps and other security agencies.
He said it was impossible for the Corps to monitor the influx of people in and out of the state and render help where necessary in case of accidents or any emergency because of the lack of passenger manifest from transport operators.
He regreted that effective use and regulation of passenger manifest by both transporters and the agency would not be possible with illegal motorparks littering the state.
Ochi expressed the hope that the COVID-19 pandemic would abate for the planned eradication of illegal motorparks to take effect.
