By Uchenna Obiekezie
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Cross River State Government has spoken out against the activities of illegal taskforce agents making life and businesses unbearable for road users.
The State Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, addressed the matter on Thursday during an emergency stakeholders’ meeting at the office of the Special Adviser on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, PhD, in Calabar.
The meeting was convened following a citywide protest by commercial minibus drivers over alleged multiple taxation and harassment by enforcement agents.
The protest, which disrupted transportation activities in the city was reportedly triggered by an attempt by the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA) to enforce what it termed “no parking” rule.
However, the drivers who protested against the move described it as unfair and a means to extort the mini-bus operators.
At the meeting, the governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on General Duties, Ekpeyong Akiba Esq., distanced his administration from what he described as “faceless enforcement taskforce agents” accused of exploiting drivers across the state.
“I am not aware of any such task force operating under government authority,” he said.
Akiba ordered the immediate temporary suspension of ticketing and traffic enforcement operations.
He added, “We will look at the resolutions reached in this meeting to enable the issuance of a harmonised directive on ticketing, levies, and traffic rule enforcement across the state.”
He further urged drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while the government works toward a lasting solution.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Unified Drivers Association, Nta Henshaw, and the Metropolitan Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Sunday Dennis, outlined the grievances that led to the protest.
Dennis emphasised that the incident was not an intentional breakdown of order. He noted that the meeting had helped streamline key issues, including concerns over ticketing, multiple taxation, and excessive fines.
According to the drivers’ representatives, operators are required to pay a daily ticket fee of ₦700, while defaulters face penalties of up to ₦70,000, a situation they described as excessive and unsustainable.
Henshaw added that peace has returned for now, noting that from Thursday to Monday, they would see how the government has positioned things.
He emphasised that the governor’s priority is the people and that immediate action had been taken to ensure peace.
