In furtherance of its oversight role, the Bonny Legislative Assembly has ordered commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as ‘Okada’, and tricyclists, popularly known as ‘KeKe’ in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State to revert to the old fare of N50 for short distances and N100 for long distances with immediate effect or face the full wrath of the law.

In what was deemed a crass display of insensitivity by residents of the island LGA, the Okada riders had surreptitiously increased their fares from N50 for short distances and N100 for long distances to N100 for short distances and N150, in some cases, N200 for long distances.

At night, they charge double the amount, thus creating a sense of panic for an already economically beleaguered community that was grappling with the rising cost of living.

According to a statement by the Media Office of the 9^th Bonny Legislative Assembly, its Leader, Rt. Hon. Larry Ibaningo, said the order was based on the fact “that the unions defaulted, by not properly writing to the government before the increment, but rather took laws into own their hands,” declaring that “they will be fined as stipulated by law”.

Hon. Ibaningo, consequently, ordered “that both unions (Motorcyclists and Tricyclists) should return back and inform their members to maintain ‘Status Quo’ for both short distances of N50 and N100, respectively.

The Leader of the Bonny Legislative Assembly warned that failure by any or both of the unions to comply with the resolution of the Assembly, their members and executives “would be arrested and face the full wrath of the law”.

The statement disclosed that this order was given on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, during plenary when the leadership of the Bonny LGA chapters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Keke Owners and Riders Association (KORA) in response to an invitation by the house appeared before the lawmakers to explain their role in the illegal increment of transport fares by both unions in the area.

Earlier, the leadership of both unions had made separate submissions on the issue to the Leader and Councillors in the Assembly, wherein they denied authorizing their members to increase transport fares of both short and long distances.

They pledged their support for the current administration in the Bonny Local Government Council, stressing that they would continue their partnership with both the Executive and Legislature to improve the lives of residents and for the government to achieve its set objectives.