By Chuks Eke
Authorities of Anambra state chapter of Keke/Motorcycle Drivers Stakeholders Welfare in the 21 Local Government Areas of the state have directed their members to vote massively for all the candidates of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in the forthcoming state House of Assembly election in the state.
They said the directive was sequel to an existing cordial relationship between the stakeholders in the commercial tricycle/ motorcycle sector and the state government.
Coordinator of the stakeholders, Chief Arunsi Igbani Uka who gave the directive yesterday shortly after their executuve meeting, explained that the measure was aimed at lending their unflinching support to Governor Soludo’s clarion call on Ndi Anambra to vote for APGA House of Assembly candidates who will come into the House to support his programmes and policies in uplifting the state to an enviable status.
Uka specifically mentioned the reduction of revenue fees payable to state government by the Keke/motorcycle drivers to a minimal level by the government, adding that this alone has made it imperative that the stakeholders should regard the government as partners in progress.
According to Uka, “the fact that Soludo’s government reduced the monthly revenue for the keke drivers from N15,000 to N10,000 monthly payable at N2,500 per week and at the same time reduced that of motorcycle operators from N7,500 to N4,000 monthly payable at N1,000 per week, is enough evidence to show that the state government is neutral to all and sundry”.
“I am also impressed that government equally gave such a fabulous waiver to shuttle and commercial bus drivers and it is on this basis that I am calling on all the drivers to lend their unflinching support to APGA since we are rest assured that whatever benefit we need from the state government will be granted to us without hesitation”.
Uka commended his members for their law abiding nature hence they have never joined in several protests carried out by other tricycle unions in existence in the state against the state government and urged them to remain steadfast.
He noted that the call was specifically prompted by the fact that the fast approaching March 18 state House of Assembly election is more crucial for APGA candidates to emerge victorious and assist Governor Soludo in consolidating his pace of giant stride in order to forge ahead in his efforts to transform the state to an enviable status.
“In the recently concluded presidential and national assembly elections, we worked assiduously for APGA to emerge victorious in some polling units, wards and constituencies to no avail but we are going to take forthcoming exercise more crucial to achieve more victory than the previous ones”, said Uka.
Some of the executive members of the stakeholders who supported the idea of voting APGA, including Chuka Nnaedozie, Onitsha South stakeholder; Alex Odili, Anambra East stakeholder; Peter Onyebilibe, Onitsha North stakeholder and Ignatius Chukwu, Owerri Road stakeholder, said Governor Soludo is in need of their support now in order to support their welfare in future.
