Physically challenged protest over extortion by Imo government
The Physically Challenged persons operating under the aegis of Disabled Sports Club(DSC) and Disabled Women Association (DWA), Wednesday withdrew their Transport services on the roads of Owerri, the state capital, in protest over the exorbitant charge of branding their vehicles in Imo Taxi colours.
The State ministry of Transport has engaged the services of miscreants to impound every commercial vehicle not branded in the state Taxi colours.
Daily Times reports that as early as 7:00 am the aggrieved members of physically challenged persons blocked the main gate of the Government House, displaying placards with various inscriptions, demanding to see either Governor Okorocha or his chief of staff, Mr. Uche Nwosu.
Addressing News Conference, the South East Zonal Coordinator of the Association, Ikechukwu Ukaegbu, accused the state Ministry of Transport of extortion and excessive display of power.
Ukaegbu , alleged that while the Ministry of Transport collects N60,000 for the painting of each cab and bus with the official color and N45,000 for tracking, only N20,000 was written on the receipt. He said that the transport scheme is their only source of livelihood as they have no assistance from the state government.
He said that the Association had come to protest the extortion by meeting the Governor or his chief of staff, demanded that the government should allow them paint their cabs by themselves since they know the government’s approved colour.
“We have come to complain to the governor or his chief of staff. The amount is expensive and we can no longer afford it. They collect N60,000 for painting of each taxi with the official commercial color and N45,000 for tracking. At the end of the day they will issue N20,000 on the receipt This is a rip off .it is either they reduce it or they allow us to paint our cabs and buses by ourselves. We must not paint it through government agents.
When Daily Times contacted the commissioner for Transport Prince Lasbery Okafor Anyanwu denied the allegation of exortion.
He disclosed that the official rate for painting of a cab and its tracking was N60,000 and not the over N100,00 as alleged by the protesters.
Meanwhile, hundreds of commuters were stranded Wednesday following the impounding of unbranded commercial vehicles operating in the state by men of the Task Force, who had swiftly moved into action and impound the vehicles of offenders.
