By Correspondent in Lokoja
Kogi State Governnent on Monday, commenced capturing of over 4,000 Tricycles and over 6,000 commercial Motorcycles in the state as part of effort to improve the security of lives and property.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Security matters, retired Commander Jerry Omadara, made the disclosure to Journalists at the premises of Internal Revenue Service KIRS,Lokoja, the designated centre for the two-week exercise.
The governor’s aide said the exercise, an innovation approved by Governor Yahaya Bello, was in consonance with the avowed determination of the present administration in the state to curb
crime and criminality in the state.
He said:”Kogi State Government has begun the biometric registration of all the operators of Motorcycles popularly known as Okada and Tricycles (Keke NAPEP) across the state.
“We have involved all the critical stakeholders in the transport business, to see the benefits of the registration to the state and to their various unions.
Omodara expressed optimism that the data expected from the exercise would enable the government track down any stolen motorcycle and tricycle as well as used to provide quality healthcare to the operators, through the State Health Insurance Scheme of the State.
Making input, the Acting Chairman, Kogi Internal Revenue Service KGIRS, Mallam Yusufu Abubakar, stressed the importance of the capturing such .mode of transportation.
He added that registering every member of commercial transporters would avail the Service the opportunity to have their data and enable the government to know the number of transporters operating within the confine of the state.
The acting chairman,who said that the exercise would be carried out in the three senatorial districts of the State,urged passengers patronising commercial transporters to try and memorise the numbers assigned to the transporters, to ease tracking whenever the need arises.
He also advised the commercial transporters in the state to register within the stipulated period, warning that whoever refused to do would not be able to operate in the state in addition to penslise offenders.
Our Correspondent recalls that the state recently witnessed resurgence of Kidnapping, especially in the Central Senatorial district, where a popular pharmacist in Okene and a first class traditional ruler in Ajaokuta Local Governnent Area were abducted among other crimes.
