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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Protesting commercial tricycle operators in Aba, Abia State yesterday stormed the headquarters of the Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State, (TIMASS) in Aba.
The protesters numbering over 200 were said to have broke into the yard, destroyed the lock while others stormed the office complex demanding to see the General Manager of the agency, Mr. Bright Chinedu Ikokwu.
Officials of the agency were reported to have fled their offices and jumped the fence on sighting the irate keke operators, for safety.
The protesters were equally said to have flung open the gigantic gate of the yard and asked all owners of seized vehicles to come them.
One of the protesters, who gave his name as Chima, said keke operators in Aba have been living in fears over the years as a result of the activities of TIMAAS officials.
“TIMAAS has become a big problem to keke riders in Aba. We are battling with TIMAAS and touts. We can no longer break even because we use most of our daily earnings to settle TIMAAS, touts and policemen.
The keke operators lamented that they have been made to suffer untold hardship at the hands of TIMAAS officials who seize their tricycles on flimsy excuses.
The operators equally stated they are charged N40, 000 before their vehicles can be released to them and urged Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to investigate the activities of TIMAAS.
“It is not a matter of committing a traffic offence or not. Keke riders now live with the fear of TIMAAS. You can park at the bus stop and they will ask you for your key and one of them will take your keke to their office and deflate the tyres. It is either you pay N40, 000 or your keke will rot away in their yard. But today, we are saying enough is enough. No more TIMAAS.”
It could not be confirmed whether the General Manager of TIMAAS, Mr. Bright Chinedu Ikokwu was at the headquarters as at the time of the incident.
It was gathered that over 20 soldiers were drafted to the area to disperse the protesters.
Efforts to get the reaction of the General Manager, TIMAAS, Mr. Ikokwu were not successful as his mobile line was switched off.
