Joan Mrakpor Warms Against Rider’s Lawlessness In Delta

Joan Mrakpor has sent warning signals to tricycle and motorcycle riders in the State

OpenLife Nigeria reports that Joan Mrakpor, the Director-General, Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, has sent warning signals to tricycle and motorcycle riders in the State the governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administrating is deploying zero tolerance on lawlessness in the State.

The warning is contained in a statement issued by the Delta State Government on Sunday.
According to the statement, Joan Mrakpor that “It will not condone a situation where some tricycle and motorcycle riders indulge in various criminal activities in Asaba and environs.”
She however promised to deal with violators of the rule of engagement stipulated by the government in view of complaints whereby “Members of the public of being attacked, and dispossessed of their valuables and cash by some tricycle and motor cycle riders who ply the streets of Asaba and neighbouring towns.”
The statement reads in part:

”It is also not the intention of the state government to close its eyes and pretend anybody can come into the Delta State capital territory and do whatever he likes; that we’ll not permit. Union, put your house in order. Find out those you know. Those you don’t know, who are commiting crime, report them to the nearest police station of that point of the crime,” Mrakpor warned.

She also warned that government would not tolerate any further destruction and defacing of public property in the state capital by any individual or group of persons under any guise.

Mrs Mrakpor tasked all residents to take ownership of their environment and protect all public property in their areas, saying that public buildings and infrastructure were built with tax payers’ money.

She said that the Taskforce on Environment was set to rid the state capital territory of all illegal structures and criminal elements beginning from Monday, and appealled to the residents to cooperate with the team to make Asaba clean and safe.

The DG restated the commitment of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration to creating jobs for the youths to alleviate their plights.

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said that government would not for any reason sacrifice security of its citizen on the altar of any economy consideration.

”We appreciate the importance and contribution of keke riders because to a very large extent, they contribute to the movement of people to and fro. But you must know that the most important thing is the security of our people; that we cannot sacrifice on the altar of any economic consideration….and we are happy that the leadership of keke are very much willing to cooperate with us in that regard. By the grace of God, by next week (this week), we’ll begin to streamline their operations so that we know where riders operate and have a way of identifying them. Keke is not inter city where you move from Lagos, and all of a sudden, you find yourself in Delta. Keke is usually within a particular town,’‘ Aniagwu said.

He said that the operation of the tricycle and motorcycle riders would be streamlined in a way that they would be allowed to operate within specified routes, and not from community to community, or from town to town.

This, according to him, would make it easy for the operation of tricycle and motorcycle riders to be monitored for security reason.

The Chairman of the Tricycle and Motorcycle Riders Union, Delta State, Chief Obi Nzete, gave an assurance that they were ready to work with the state government to flush out those with suspicious and questionable motives.

Chief Nzete, represented by the Financial Secretary of the transport union, Mr Tony Chukwudi, hinted that those with criminal tendencies were keke riders who come from outside Asaba.

He insisted that the leadership of the union does not tolerate any act of lawlessness from its members.

”We know our members by their names and phone numbers in our register…. Those who perpetrate these crimes are not those who are based in Asaba. But we are ready to work with you to flush out the criminals. Our state president has urged every member of our union to be law-abiding,” he added.