The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Akpor branch, Elder Godfrey Ibechukwundu has decried the suffering of the locals (grassroots people) occasioned by the hike in transport fares.
To alleviate the hardship on the people, Elder Ibechukwundu said it is important and urgent for government at all levels to come up with a transport scheme to cushion the effect of the high transport charges.
Elder Ibechukwundu stated this in office in Port Harcourt while addressing newsmen, saying that the union is ever ready to work with government, but needs the assistance of the government to boost their business and plead with the commuters to understand the plight of the government in removing the fuel subsidy that consequently led to the hike in transport fares.
He appealed to government to provide a transport scheme and hand it over to the union from states to the local governments and to communities to cushion the suffering of the masses, positing that they in Rumuosi park still maintain the transport fare of #100 because they are in the grassroots and feel the sufferings of the masses, adding that if they have enough cars from government, the transport will be easy and the people will enjoy it.
The Chairman frowned on the activities of the Nigeria Police at the Park that will just order cars to stop load and go without remitting anything to the union and as chairman of the park, I have complained bitterly to the authorities but all to no avail, saying that if this continues, he will call for the attention of the Governor over the issue of Private car owners and uniform men who do load passengers and move without remitting or paying any fee to the union.
On the issue of relationship with the people of Rumuosi, his host community, Elder Godffrey Ibechukwundu said he is always in touch with his community and gives them what rightfully belongs to them.
He urged the drivers to obey the rules and regulations of the union because there are always bag eggs which the union will not hesitate to flush out to maintain their cordial relationship with the people.
He thanked Rumuosi community, the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the State Government and urged them to always support the union and pledged for unalloyed loyalty to constituted authorities.
