News
Christmas: Rivers travellers lament high transportation costs
Commuters in Port Harcourt on Tuesday expressed their frustration over the rising transportation costs for inter-state travel.
Fares to destinations such as Abuja, Lagos, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and other cities had increased significantly, in some cases doubling.
The price hikes left many residents struggling as they planned journeys to their hometowns to celebrate Christmas and New Year with their loved ones.
Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Mile One and Waterlines motor parks, as well as with leading transport companies, including GUO, ITC, and Chisco Transport, confirmed the sharp increases in fares.
For instance, GUO Transport was charging N63,100 from Port Harcourt to Abuja, while a trip to Lagos cost N57,100.
Chisco Transport charged N25,000 for Port Harcourt to Lagos, while travellers to neighbouring states had not been spared either.
At Rivers State Transport Company (RTC), passengers were paying N6,050 from Port Harcourt to Owerri, compared to N4,800 weeks ago.
Similarly, a journey from Port Harcourt to Onitsha was N9,050 by bus, Port Harcourt to Okigwe cost N6,000, while Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) charged N8,500 for travel to Uyo.
Mohammed Aliyu, a jewellery dealer, told NAN in Port Harcourt that the hikes had forced him to consider the risky option of travelling by night bus to save costs.
“Though it is risky travelling to Abuja by night, I cannot afford to pay about N60,000 for the journey.”
Mrs Chimamanda Okonkwo, a civil servant, explained that her husband had relocated to their village in Nnewi, Anambra, in March due to the rising cost of living.
“If not for my husband now living in the village, I wouldn’t be travelling to my hometown with my children because transportation costs are too high.
“Travel for me and my three children from Port Harcourt to Nnewi and back will cost over N90,000.
“How can we cope in this country when my salary is completely consumed by transportation. The government needs to address this issue,” Okonkwo pleaded.
Ifeanyi Chuku, a spare parts dealer, said that the worsening economic situation was affecting his business and personal life.
He said that he had decided to leave his vehicle at home, thinking it would be cheaper to travel by commercial bus to his village in Anambra.
“Well, it isn’t cheap after all, considering it costs almost N10,000 for the journey.
“This country used to be a place where Christmas and New Year celebrations were exciting. I can no longer wait to leave Nigeria,” he added.
Miss Tessy Ekema, a trader based in Eleme, stated that she recently paid N3,500 for transportation to Aba, compared to the N2,500 she paid few weeks ago.
She questioned why the reduced pump price of petrol had not resulted in lower fares on the Eleme-Aba route.
Addressing the rising transportation costs, the Chairman of Andoni Local Government Council, Lazarus Nteogwuile, has announced free transportation for those travelling from Port Harcourt to Andoni between Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has urged both commercial and private vehicle drivers to avoid excessive speed and remain vigilant on the highways.
Mr Inyang Umoh, the FRSC Sector Commander in Rivers, said that officers had been deployed to strategic points on the roads to ensure the safety of travellers.
“Personnel have been stationed to ensure free flow of traffic within Port Harcourt, the Eleme area of the East-West Road, and surrounding locations.
“We are likely to see increase movement in the coming days, but our officers are strategically stationed to manage the rush that typically occurs during Christmas,” he added.
Despite the proactive measures by the FRSC, Umoh reported that one individual tragically lost his life in an accident on Monday along Ikwerre Road, near the Mile One market area of Port Harcourt.
In response, the Police Command in Rivers has assured residents of their safety during the festive period.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said that the command had opened checkpoints on major highways and other strategic locations on interstate roads.
“We have reinforced security along our roads and checkpoints to ensure travellers experience seamless movement during the holidays.
“In addition, officers are conducting 24-hour patrols on the roads, especially on the highways, to safeguard travellers against criminal activities,” she told NAN. (NAN)
Aides, Allies Disown Him, Say You’re a Traitor, We’re not Leaving PDP
Barely two weeks after his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), crisis has enveloped the political camp of a member of the House of Representatives for Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for him as his defection to the APC is eliciting rejection from his close circles and constituency.
His key allies who he groomed into politics and government positions have rejected his calls on them to join him to defect to the APC.
A source said that in the last few days, key aides and allies of the lawmaker have rejected his movement to the APC, describing it as a political tragedy.
“With the way he betrayed PDP, Oluwole Oke is like the proverbial Leopard that can never change the spots on its body. He will also betray the APC. We are staying back in PDP while severing political links with him”, one of his allies, Bamidele Johnson said.
Some of his allies were said to have openly declared that the defection marks a political waterloo for the 6th term legislator.
For instance, some of Oke’s allies in his Local Government scorned his move as “a decision borne out of greed and selfishness.”
One of them described him as “an ingrate who betrayed a party on whose platform he got married in life as a lawmaker and on whose platform he gained all his material riches.”
The Northern Youths Consultative Forum for Justice (NYCJ) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, citing a complete breakdown of governance, law, and order.
In a statement issued on Monday in Kano, NYCJ President Dr Sanusi Rano described the situation in Zamfara as “organised abandonment of duty” by elected officials.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara is not governance. It is betrayal of the people,” Rano said, pointing to the absence of a functional state House of Assembly and allegations linking officials to criminal activities.
The group highlighted the suspension of 10 lawmakers who spoke out against the deteriorating security situation, arguing that their removal has left Zamfara without a legally recognised legislative body.
“This is a dictatorship of silence,” said Rano, adding that the lack of checks and balances has deepened the state’s crisis.
“The same hands that should protect Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Rano stated.
Calling for decisive action, the group demanded the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to rebuild the state’s institutions.
“If this is not done now, Zamfara risks becoming a permanent state of anarchy, which threatens our democracy,” Rano warned.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased ( his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022 by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge .
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel , Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively. (NAN)