Thugs, allegedly led by Ebonyi State commissioner for Capital Territory, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has allegedly forced themselves into private premises of mass transport operators in Abakaliki, sealed them up, after smashing glasses of several vehicles.
The attackers who were said to have been armed to the teeth, were trying to compel operators to abandon their current business premises within the city centre, and move to a government designated park further far off.
It was reported that the State government, in a bid to create a new revenue source, made the decision to move other transport operators to a new compound, originally designated “tipper park”, even though it was not ready for use of smaller vehicles, or accessible to majority of commuters, as it was too far from the city centre.
Most transport operators, under vehement protests, paid the stipulated fees for spaces in the proposed park, believing that the movement would take place when the proposed park is ready.
However, Commissioner for Transport and Parks in Ebonyi State, Eze Nwachukwu Eze, called members of Association of Mass Transit Operators(AMTO) to a meeting Thursday last week, where he ordered them to move out of the state capital and relocate to the proposed, undeveloped park immediately.
The meeting had ended in a stalemate as the union protested the order to vacate immediately, asking for more time, while the commissioner made no commitments. It was expected that further consultations would follow, but today’s attacks on premises of operators by heavily armed thugs changed the dynamics of the interface between the state and the business owners.
Peoeple, including commuters and officers of affected companies ran helter skelter, as the thugs moved from one park to another, smashing wind shields and windows of buses in parking and loading bays, with reckless abandon.
Officials of AMTO made futile attempts to reach affected commissioners, Eze and Nwebonyi, as they were said to be unavailable.
AMTO members have scheduled an emergency meeting for tomorrow, Wednesday, to agree on a united course of action.
“It is insensitive for a Ebonyi state government to seek to banish transporters to a virgin land without any facility; not even earthwork, and far out of the reach of commuters”, a member who did not want his name in print, because he was not AMTO spokesperson.
” We go through a lot these days, with disruptions occasioned by forceful sit at home, day after day, why try to kill our business?”
Passengers were left stranded all over Abakaliki, as there was no direction on where to board vehicles or disembark, for those coming from other locations.
It is feared that the development could snowball into full crises if not quickly and satisfactorily handled by the state government.
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