Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris has inaugurated the construction, rehabilitation and modernisation of Birnin Kebbi Motor Park, expected to gulp N2.99 billion.
Speaking shortly after kick-starting the project in Birnin Kebbi yesterday, the governor said the project was in fulfilment of one of his campaign promises.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Yakubu Bala-Tafida, said the project was meant to give the state capital a befitting outlook through modernisation and rehabilitation of existing structures.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the facility judiciously to improve their business, insisting “the more the project is protected, the longer the period it will serve the beneficiaries “.
Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Umar Faruk-Muslim, recalled that the motor park was constructed 25 years ago, and had been allowed to deteriorate due to negligence by successive administrations in the state.
According him, the specification of the contract includes redesign, reconstruction and modernisation to a befitting motor park, to accommodate commercial transit businesses.
Faruk-Muslim advised the beneficiaries to do everything possible to safeguard the project from vandalism, to enable it to stand the test of time.
The Chairman, Kebbi chapter of Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alahaji Atiku Mai-mai-Gwandu, expressed appreciation to Gov. Idtis and pledged to extend the necessary support for the government.
Mai- mai-Gwandu appealed to members of the union to ensure proper utilisation of the motor park when completed, to ease their jobs, boost their revenue base and enhance the internally generated revenue of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is expected to be completed in 18 months.
Residents of Ifako/Ijaiye have appealed to Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to stop the planned relocation of Iju motor park.
According to President of Concerned Citizens of Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government Area, Chief Ayo Musibau, the plan to take over the park and push the yellow buses to Ward ‘C’ streets of Ifako/Ijaiye, which is mainly residential, would pose threats to residents.
He told reporters that letters and messages have been sent to the governor, expressing their fears over the planned relocation of the park to a residential area and its dangers.
Musibau noted that the garage is in an ancient park located in a strategic area without an alternative size, adding ‘’when the government gave a contract to a company to build modern structures at the park, the people of Ifako/Ijaiye especially Ward ‘C’ which is the largest ward in the local government were happy and full of praises for the state and local governments, but after creating and building structures in the park that are almost nearing completion, the local government that is complaining of no money wants to demolish the structures.”
The community appealed to the governor to stop the relocation of the park to avoid a breach of the peace.
To prevent abuse of drugs among commercial vehicle operators, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have visited the Garki motor park in Area 1 of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to sensitise drivers in an event with the theme: The need for rehabilitation as a way of ensuring a drug-free society.
The Corps members, who are members of Drug Free Community Development Service (CDS) group, visited the park last Thursday with the objective to stop commercial drivers from taking harmful drugs and substances that enhance body activities.
Mrs Joy Haruna, Director of Abuja NYSC camp, who represented the state coordinator, said the initiative was informed by the need to educate the commercial drivers on dangers inherent in the use of drugs and harmful substances.
She said an intoxicated driver would not only put the lives of passengers and himself at risk, she said such individual would endanger the lives of other road users.
The guest speaker, Mrs Shikse Peret, a Clinical Psychologist from the Christian Woman for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society Rehabilitation Centre, Jos, the Plateau State capital, urged the government, religious groups, and corperate organisations to support funding of rehabilitation centres built across the country.
She noted that most rehabilitation homes were either too expensive to be afforded by average individuals or underfunded, preventing them from meeting up the needs of victims.
She stressed that caring for victims of drug and substance abuse goes beyond medical treatment, adding that the availability of rehabilitation homes to cater for the victims remained key in achieving a drug free society.
The Assistant Superintendent of Drug Demand Reduction in the Narcotics Division of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Augustine Nduka, praised the Corps members for embarking on the sensitisation.
He said substances that enhance body activities are easily abused by drivers, saying the social and psychological effects of excessive drug us could not be quantified. He challenged the drivers to report cases of drug and substance abuse to the NDLEA without fear.
Responding to questions from a participant, Nduka assured that NDLEA would explore all avenues to ensure reduction in abuse of drugs, adding that the event was part of the agency’s efforts to reduce and prevent use of harmful drug.
A rehabilitated abuser, Mr Emmanuel Gyang, shared his story. He said it took personal determination to overcome addiction, saying affordability of rehabilitation also helped him.
He advised victims of drug addiction to look inward and drop the habit, saying: “Rehabilitation would amount to nothing if you are not ready to change.”
The event featured music, poem recitation and drama educating the participants on the harmful effects of drug abuse.
Chairman of Area 1 Taxi and Car Drivers Association, Mr Kabiru Ibrahim, thanked the Corps members for the awareness, promising to collaborate with NDLEA and the CDS to make the park free of drugs.
Aside commuters and intending travelers, motor-parks, known in the local parlance as garages, are no-go areas for most Nigerians. Notably, they hold an eerie opinion of the place and would not be caught dead there, except when they’re headed for a destination. Ruth Akerele recently spent time with guys at the Oshodi Mosafejo Park, and her memoirs are as interesting as they are revealing.
Scenes at Oshodi motor park
For a first-time visitor, Oshodi Mosafejo Motor Park and environs is a noisy and rowdy place with little or no security. Save a pocketful on the roadsides and junctions, police officers are somewhat a rare sight in the ‘garages’. The environment is also littered and as dirty as they come. Smell of putrid human waste rent the air, evidence of careless and indiscriminate excretion and urination habits. But no one seemed to mind, as everyone seemed concentrated on their business, chief of which was to make money. Plenty of it.
The conductors busied themselves with drawing attention to their various routes, as they shout themselves hoarse, almost like in a competition.
At the edges and in between vehicles, petty traders engage in perpetual chatter, trying to convince commuters to buy their goods. Intermittently, auto mechanics and their apprentices could be seen, bent over, trying to fix one vehicle or the order. Their seems to be an urgency to get the vehicles back in shape for the next trip. Buses are arranged according their routes and passengers already seated looked at ease, even as they fanned themselves to melt the heat. The petty traders peddled products that range from confectionery to home-made food, drinks and even clothes. Phone accessories and home appliances are also not left out. And so are beggars.
Although there is no time specification for business activities at the park; the environment remains well-lit even in the wee hours of the morning. The park is quite deserted and apart from the few early passengers boarding buses and a few drivers/conductors. Some drivers and conductors could also be seen cleaning their vehicles in preparation for the day. Aside the usual conductor/passenger squabbles, which was evident even in this early hours, the garage is unusually quiet.
As the day broke and activities reached fever pitch, this reporter couldn’t but notice the gathering of people at different places. Further investigations revealed that they were gathered to play or check results of their sports betting, popularly called ‘Baba Ijebu’. Baba Ijebu is named after the founder of the betting game of numbers and sports results prediction.
Here and there, commuters could be seen trying to locate buses going to their destinations, while others patronised the petty traders. Some men, in twos and threes, could be seen collecting money from the bus drivers/conductors as their vehicles fill up and they prepare to drive out of the park. On enquiry, this reporter learnt that the men were of the Road Transport Workers Union and were actually collecting dues for the union. One of the conductors could be seen arguing with one of the men. Things looked set to escalate into a fight, but other conductors quickly stepped in to make peace.
One other visible feature of the park is the sight of ruddy and unkempt touts everywhere one looked. Some could be seen sleeping in broad daylight, while others lazed around purposelessly. Another set could be seen smoking and drinking, while others wandered aimlessly about. A little bird whispered that these are the ones who engaged in nefarious activities and have given motor parks their negative reputations.
In the late evening, activities in the garage reduce drastically and the environment appears quite serene, compared to the afternoon. Except for night travelers and those returning from their various places of work, most activities are winding to a stop for the day. Although some petty traders could still be seen around showcasing their goods to commuters, most have closed for the day and disappeared, to resurface the next day. Naturally, the environment looks dirtier than in the morning, but the people carried on unconcerned, even as they chatted away in a relaxed mood.
In all, it was a revealing experience for this reporter. Even though she did not experience or witness any crime or criminal activity, the whole environment still looked suspect, with people milling around in their thousands and some looking rough enough to arouse psychological threat in innocent people.
THE residents of Ajah in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State have implored the state government not to relocate the Ajah Motor Park from its present location to Ten Families in the Abraham Adesanya area of the town.
During a peaceful protest staged in the town yesterday, the residents drew the attention of the government to the hardships the relocation will bring about.
They said the relocation would subject commuters, traders, travellers and other people in the community to untold suffering.
The leaders of the profesters, Alhaji Ayinde Ariwaja, the chairman of the Eti-Osa East Community Development Committee; Alhaji Rasak Odunlami, the Baba Oja General of Ajah; Alhaji Mustapha Okunmoyinbo, the secretary of the Eti-Osa Indigenes’ Forum; Alhaji Kayode Jabita, the chairman of the NURTW, Eti-Osa ; Chief Adesina Aribifo, the secretary of the NURTW, Eti-Osa East, Branch A, Ajah; and Chief Olatunji Lateef, the Baale of Morekete, addressed the press on the proposed relocation of the motor park.
Alhaji Ariwaja said: “We oppose the relocation of the motor park because it will bring about problems for people. The present location is good. It is at a central place. It is accessible to people from all parts of Lagos State.”
“As Baba Oja General, I oppose the relocation, and all market men and women oppose it. The relocation will create problems for both the traders and their customers. We appeal to the government to rescind its decision to relocate the motor park,” said Alhaji Odunlami.
Alhaji Okunmoyinbo said: “The proposed land for the motor park belongs to the Eti-Osa Local Council Development Area. It is meant for the construction of our secretariat. How can it be used as a motor park. I believe Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will listen to our appeals. He is a good governor and a man of the people.”
Alhaji Jabita said: “As the chairman of the NURTW, I do not support the relocation. Our members also do not support it. We want the motor park to be in an open place for security reasons. We can operate beside or around the bridge as it is done in Iyana- Ipaja, Iyana-Oworo, Obalende, Oju Elegba, Osodi and other similar places in Lagos State.
“Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is our governor. We voted for him because we love him and believe in his programmes. As we are against the relocation, he will listen to us because his government is a listening and responsive one.”
Chief Aribifo and Chief Olatunji Lateef also spoke against the proposed relocation and implored the governor to cancel it in the interest of peace and justice.
Aside commuters and intending travelers, motor-parks, known in the local parlance as garages, are no-go areas for most Nigerians. Notably, they hold an eerie opinion of the place and would not be caught dead there, except when they’re headed for a destination. Ruth Akerele recently spent time with guys at the Oshodi Mosafejo Park, and her memoirs are as interesting as they are revealing.
For a first-time visitor, Oshodi Mosafejo Motor Park and environs is a noisy and rowdy place with little or no security. Save a pocketful on the roadsides and junctions, police officers are somewhat a rare sight in the ‘garages’. The environment is also littered and as dirty as they come. Smell of putrid human waste rent the air, evidence of careless and indiscriminate excretion and urination habits. But no one seemed to mind, as everyone seemed concentrated on their business, chief of which was to make money. Plenty of it.
The conductors busied themselves with drawing attention to their various routes, as they shout themselves hoarse, almost like in a competition.
At the edges and in between vehicles, petty traders engage in perpetual chatter, trying to convince commuters to buy their goods. Intermittently, auto mechanics and their apprentices could be seen, bent over, trying to fix one vehicle or the order. Their seems to be an urgency to get the vehicles back in shape for the next trip. Buses are arranged according their routes and passengers already seated looked at ease, even as they fanned themselves to melt the heat. The petty traders peddled products that range from confectionery to home-made food, drinks and even clothes. Phone accessories and home appliances are also not left out. And so are beggars.
Although there is no time specification for business activities at the park; the environment remains well-lit even in the wee hours of the morning. The park is quite deserted and apart from the few early passengers boarding buses and a few drivers/conductors. Some drivers and conductors could also be seen cleaning their vehicles in preparation for the day. Aside the usual conductor/passenger squabbles, which was evident even in this early hours, the garage is unusually quiet.
As the day broke and activities reached fever pitch, this reporter couldn’t but notice the gathering of people at different places. Further investigations revealed that they were gathered to play or check results of their sports betting, popularly called ‘Baba Ijebu’. Baba Ijebu is named after the founder of the betting game of numbers and sports results prediction.
Here and there, commuters could be seen trying to locate buses going to their destinations, while others patronised the petty traders. Some men, in twos and threes, could be seen collecting money from the bus drivers/conductors as their vehicles fill up and they prepare to drive out of the park. On enquiry, this reporter learnt that the men were of the Road Transport Workers Union and were actually collecting dues for the union. One of the conductors could be seen arguing with one of the men. Things looked set to escalate into a fight, but other conductors quickly stepped in to make peace.
One other visible feature of the park is the sight of ruddy and unkempt touts everywhere one looked. Some could be seen sleeping in broad daylight, while others lazed around purposelessly. Another set could be seen smoking and drinking, while others wandered aimlessly about. A little bird whispered that these are the ones who engaged in nefarious activities and have given motor parks their negative reputations.
In the late evening, activities in the garage reduce drastically and the environment appears quite serene, compared to the afternoon. Except for night travelers and those returning from their various places of work, most activities are winding to a stop for the day. Although some petty traders could still be seen around showcasing their goods to commuters, most have closed for the day and disappeared, to resurface the next day. Naturally, the environment looks dirtier than in the morning, but the people carried on unconcerned, even as they chatted away in a relaxed mood.
In all, it was a revealing experience for this reporter. Even though she did not experience or witness any crime or criminal activity, the whole environment still looked suspect, with people milling around in their thousands and some looking rough enough to arouse psychological threat in innocent people.
The Police in Niger state have arrested two suspects in connection with a misunderstanding between two transport unions at the Abdulsalam Abubakar Motor Park, Minna.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the squabble, which Occurred on Oct.22, resulted to the death of one person.
The fight happened between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and their counterparts of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.
The Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, ASP Bala Elkaina, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Minna.
Bala said investigation into the fracas had commenced, and that the command would ensure diligent prosecution of the culprits.
A suicide bomber yesterday detonated explosives at a motor park in Potiskum, Yobe State’s commercial town, killing five persons, including himself.
An eyewitness said the bomber was disguised as a passenger and boarded a Vectra Opel car with four other passengers before blowing himself up with the passengers.
But the police, which confirmed the suicide attack, gave a different account of how it all happened.
Commissioner Danladi Marcus said the bomber drove in a Honda car in front of some vehicles conveying passengers before reversing to hit other cars to trigger the explosion.
“From the briefing that I got, the suicide bombers drove to a motor park along Bauchi road near a filling station in Potiskum and went in front of other cars, pretending to be travelling as well. Then all of a sudden, he decided to reverse and hit other cars and immediately, the bomb went off, killing him and four other people,” Marcus said.
He added: “You can see that people are tired of the happenings around. The report I got is that the explosion did not disrupt the normal life in the town. People are going about their normal businesses.
“My call is that we should all be vigilant to fish out the bad people among us by reporting any suspicious movement around us.”
Potiskum is now becoming a hotbed of suicide bombing yesterday’s was the third this month. A blast killed a street vendor on one occasion, and two female suicide bombers killed eight people in coordinated attacks, according to reports.
Many people also died in similar suicide attacks earlier targeted on Shiate Muslims sect and school pupils on assembly grounds last year.
Is Nigeria no more than a vast motor park? President Goodluck Jonathan introduced that possibility when he received members of the Northern Elders Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. In reaction to recent criticisms of his administration, especially by two former political helmsmen, on the basis of alleged monumental corruption, Jonathan employed an interesting metaphor. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida were the apparent targets.
Jonathan said: “Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not statesmen; they are just ordinary politicians. For you to be a statesman is not because you occupied a big office before, but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country?” He continued: “Making provocative statements in this country, statements that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen, you can never be; you are ordinary motor park tout.”
It was a stinging comparison, and those who thought Jonathan went too far by likening the unnamed personalities to motor-park touts staged a counter-attack. The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) spokesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said: “President Jonathan should know that in a motor park, there are touts and there are pickpockets. So, if some past leaders are touts, some sitting leaders are pickpockets and thieves. So, you have to pick from them.” According to him, “pickpockets in a motor park cheat the passengers as well as the owner of the vehicles, while touts work for a commission.”
Isn’t it interesting and food for thought that Abdullahi didn’t reject the image of a motor park? Rather, he elaborated on motor-park structure and operation by bringing in “pickpockets and thieves” as well as “passengers” and “the owner of the vehicles.”
It is relevant to reflect on the identities of those in the identified categories. Who are the passengers? These must be the people. Who is the owner of the vehicles? Who are the touts, pickpockets and thieves? In the picture painted by Abdullahi, “the passengers as well as the owner of the vehicles” are victims of cheating; and the beneficiaries of the system are the touts, pickpockets and thieves.
The question must be asked: Why did Jonathan think of a motor park, which then informed the labelling of his targets as “touts”? Could it mean that Jonathan considers himself a motor-park president? If so, what are the implications of such self-perception? Additional posers: As the self-perceived head of a motor park, what has he done to arrest the negativities of the pickpockets and thieves Abdullahi spoke about? Is Jonathan himself one of them?
Perhaps Jonathan deserves praise for his enlightening figurative language because it has not only helped to clarify his idea of the space he governs; it has also prompted further clarification by his antagonists who appear to recognise his motor-park mentality. In this metaphorical motor park, the passengers who are perpetually short-changed will need to do something to achieve redemption. That must be the lesson to be learned from Jonathan’s motor-park imagination.
A bomb hidden in a refrigerator exploded yesterday at the New Road Luxury Park in Sabon Gari, Kano, killing five people and injuring 12 others.
The police said only one person died in the park where a bomb killed no fewer than 15 last year – also in July. Boko Haram, the insurgent sect, said it was responsible for that incident.
Yesterday’s blast happened at about 2:30pm when the luxury bus owned by Ifeanyichukwu Industry and Commercial Services Limited, arrived the motor park from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The front of the bus was shattered. Two other buses were damaged by the explosion.
A source at the motor park recounted the explosion. He said: “A luxury bus had just arrived from Port Harcourt. As the bus parked, some passengers were disembarking. We heard a loud bang which devastated the area.
“People started running helter-skelter. We saw five bodies on the ground, and a woman’s head flew off in a different direction. I do not know whether she was a passenger or not.”
A bus conductor, Umar Isah, said he saw a truck-pusher with a fridge inside the truck, pushing it towards the vehicle, “and in a twinkle of an eye, we heard a deafening sound that rocked the whole motor park. The truck-pusher was severely injured in the process.”
Kano State Commissioner of Police Adenrele Shinaba said: “On arrival, we discovered this luxury bus and damage done to these personal property. All we know is that this luxury bus is getting ready to travel to Port Harcourt.
“In the process of loading the vehicle, one of the trucks that were being pushed was carrying a fridge to be loaded inside the vehicle, and it was from the fridge that the bomb went off. It is presumed that there is a prime explosive concealed inside the refrigerator and that is what we are working on for now.
“So far, I want to confirm that one woman is dead; eight others are injured and have been taken to hospitals for treatment. The injuries are not life threatening, and we shall also, in the shortest time, move to the hospital to see the progress they are making.”
Chief Chris Azuka, the President of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo in Kano, condemned the blast, saying it had become a frequent occurrence.
Chief Jerry Agunbiade, Deputy President, Yoruba Community, Kano, said: “I don’t expect a thing like this, because of the security awareness in the park. Already, you have security around, they should have been able to do something and detect the bomb. The government should find what they can do to put more security.”
Chief Tony Lele Peters, President-General of the South-South Community, said: “It is astonishing that this thing is happening again at the same park, despite the security put in place.
