
The Kogi State House of Assembly has called on the state government to strengthen and expand the mass transit system in Lokoja to address the issue of unregulated transportation charges by commercial tricycle (keke) and motorcycle (okada) operators.
In a motion of urgent public importance presented by Bin Ebaiya Shehu-Tijani, the lawmaker representing Lokoja I State Constituency, it was highlighted that residents of Lokoja are suffering from the arbitrary fares imposed by private keke and okada riders. Shehu-Tijani stressed that transportation is a crucial economic factor, not only for market accessibility but also for the production and distribution of goods and services.
He noted that while the establishment of Kogi Express was intended to offer world-class intra-city and inter-state transport services, the company’s poor management has prevented it from achieving its objectives. This has left residents of the state capital at the mercy of private transport operators whose prices are not regulated.
Shehu-Tijani also raised concerns about Lokoja’s lack of an efficient mass transit and water transport system, despite its strategic location at the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue. He called on the state government to instruct the Ministry of Transportation to conduct an immediate assessment of the Kogi State Transport Company with the goal of improving it into a standard transport service provider.
Seconding the motion, Usman Ochidi, the member representing Dekina Biraidu State Constituency, urged the state government to set up a committee to monitor fuel prices, which have contributed to the rising cost of private transportation. Other lawmakers, including Jibril Abuh of Ajaokuta State Constituency and Yusuf Zakari of Okene II, supported the motion, acknowledging the impact of the increased petrol costs on transportation fares.
Deputy Speaker Comfort Unwuchola Egwuaba, who presided over the session, commended the lawmaker for raising the timely motion and urged the appropriate authorities to take swift action to address the issue.
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