Yuletide: Benue govt moves to check illegal parks proliferation

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

As part of efforts to ensure sanity at the motor parks and safety of drivers and persengers, Benue State Government has set up a parks monitoring and sanitation implementation taskforce to decongest parks and relocate illegal ones in Makurdi, the state capital.

The Principal Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Commercial Transportation and Monitoring, Hon Yusuf Elaigwu Suleiman, constituted the committee on Wednesday during a commercial transporters stakeholders meeting held in Makurdi.

The Governor’s aide said state government have discovered a surge in springing up of motor parks at road buffers describing it as a violation that should not be seen in the heart of a city.

According to him, the existence of these new parks and some already existing has created an unnecessary traffic and causing risk to the lives of citizens.

He said “These parks are creating traffic and other vices in the city. We want to relocate them for free flow of traffic in the city center and the Governor is very keen about clearing these buffers.

“We are fast approaching the yuletide season and traffic of commuters is likely to increase. The new locations motor parks are already an eyesore we can only but imagine what happens when the yuletide traffic start hence, we need to cleans the motor parks and the road corridors starting from today, here and now.”

He said that the team would ensure sanity around motor parks in the state as it is constituted to decongest and relocate illegal motor parks and also ensure that proper motor parks are constructed.

He said “They are also in charge of making sure that everyone operating on the road is cleared off.

“The team is set up to generally sanitize the commercial transportation sector so they can regulate the springing up of new parks, some which are not qualified to be parks. This engagement is focused on sanitizing commercial transportation parks to meet best practices and we are coming up with penalties, fines and as well rewards to the operators of motor parks,” he added.

The PSA disclosed that the state Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia is committed to a better, safer and greater Benue State, and is leaving no stone unturned in repositioning the commercial transportation sector.

He said the consistent hike in PMS also affected prices of transportation, commodities and cost of living while drastically reducing purchasing power.

“As a government we are very aware and very concerned and also not having a sleep because of it.
We are working on introducing both electric powered commercial transportation means and as well the CNG converted cars which very soon we will have some refill stations and conversion centers here in Benue State.

“We are also trying to develop hub so that it can handle the electric vehicles recharging points and value chain with all aftersales support services.

“We are very aware of the shortage or outage of power and our propose transport hub will come fully off grid and many batteries ready for exchange when you don’t have time to charge. This just a glimpse at our thoughts and plans as a government.”

Stakeholders represented at the meeting were drawn from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Benue State Fire Service, National Union of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) National Union of road transport workers (NURTW), Private Parks Owners, Motorcycle and Tricycle operators (Okada and Keke NAPEP riders), among others.

Speaking during the meeting, stakeholders restated their commitment to abide by the rule and regulations of government to ensure their smooth operations in the state.

The Director Benue State Fire Service, Staff Officer Operations from FRSC, Engr Donald Ikyaaza and SRC Lawal Ishola expressed the commitment of their command and offices to continue to ensure safety of road users as their mandate requires.

Other speakers from NARTO, Alh Garba Japan, Stephen Lawal from NURTW State President TRABS (Keke) operators Suushater Daniel and the Secretary of Benue Motorcyclist Association, (BEMOA), Tserga Terkuma all urged Government to provide appropriate parks for all transporters and also discourage the use of children at check points as it is exposing them to various vices.

They also urged the government to collaborate with security agencies to ensure safety of their members both in Makurdi and others places in the state.

Meanwhile, the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Godwin Malu, said the state government have discovered that criminals are hobnobbing in such illegal parks where some drivers go in to take alcohol before embarking on journeys.

He said they are committed to checking all illegalities especially the use of young boys of who are supposed to be of school age to block the roads with woods saying “we are here to help you navigate the roads for easy movement.”

The Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on local Government Coordination and Monitoring, Ioryue Yajir also backed the need to organize the state motor parks saying coordinated parks will generate more revenue for the state, organize the town and reduce criminality.

In his remarks, the General Manager of Benue Links Transport Company, Comrade Alexander Fanafa, described their park as the best in the country and urged other transport companies and parks to emulate them.

Fanafa, who spoke through his Assistant General Manager, Francis Ujah, commended the PSA on Commercial Transportation and Monitoring, Hon Suleiman for the taskforce which he said will check the illegal activities of commercial transporters especially human trafficking.