How Guber Tribunal Forced Okorocha To Stop Keke Ban, May End Demolition Of Illegal Structures

But for the ongoing election petition tribunal handling cases
instituted against the victory of Owelle Rochas Okorocha as governor
of Imo State from the April 2015 elections, commercial tricycle
operators in the state would have bidden bye to the municipal council
of Owerri, where the state government had given them (keke operators)
hundred days to quit.

On getting the mandate for another four years after being sworn in by
the Chief Judge of the state on May 29, Okorocha began with new
policies which he reportedly stated may not go down well with the
people of the state.

Part of the new measures, the governor said will renew Owerri, the
state capital in line with the latest programme of the government
known as "Imo, My Pride" project, is the ban on keke operation in Imo.
Okorocha at a public function reportedly disclosed that keke operators
need only 100 days to quit business in the municipality as plans to
introduce a special taxi scheme have reached advanced stages. A
four-seater Suzuki brand of car had already flooded the state for
takeoff before the sudden volte-face. As mixed reactions continue to
greet the proposed plan to stop keke operations, Okorocha through his
media unit denied such development adding that it exists only in the
mind of anti-government elements.

However, Trumpeta reports that the fear of the unknown on the
governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Owerri is
responsible for the relax of the proposed keke ban. It would be
recalled that few of the governorship contestants, including
Okorocha's main challenger and PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, rushed
to the tribunal.

In order not to lose his support base which is grassroots comprising
keke operators, Okorocha halted the ban on keke pending the outcome of
the tribunal. Government House sources revealed that fear of unknown
and uncertainty associated with tribunal cases made the governor to
pipe low and reduce the level of drastic measures he has declared
intentions to prosecute.

Apart from the keke ban, destruction of illegal structures and end to
street trading on major roads in the state capital are part of the new
measures the Okorocha government injected into the system.

Field and security reports were said to have forced the governor to
have a rethink about banning keke operators, believed to be his foot
soldiers and crusaders during the elections.

Okorocha through his media unit denied the plot even as the governor
while interacting with their leaders allegedly gave them 100 days
notice to quit.

The Suzuki-brand of cars expected to replace keke are said to be a
business interest of one influential personality close to the
governor. The leadership of the keke riders were said to have caved
into the governor's new project when Okorocha lured them with the "car
owner" mantra. Each of the keke riders who dumps his/her machine for
the metro cab is expected to pay above one million naira under an
arrangement.

—Trumpeta