The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), led by Chukwuma Okonkwo, has lent its support to the ban on touting, ticket racketeering and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by unscrupulous persons.

Speaking at the end of a monthly meeting of the organisation, in Awka, Anambra State, Okonkwo expressed the belief that the development can be addressed if Governor Chukwuma Soludo would partner with the association.

Okonkwo frowned on the fact that it is only in the state that RTEAN operations have been stalled by the past administration, urging Soludo to remedy the situation by allowing his men to operate voluntarily to enable his government to achieve its targets.

The RTEAN chieftain revealed that RTEAN members have official uniforms, and membership identity cards tagged on their uniforms for easy identification, stressing that such disposition is aimed at guaranteeing lawful operations in parks and on roads.

He pointed out that the RTEAN and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) would partner for a training programme for about 200 Marshals in the association for effective traffic management and behavioural conduct.

Okonkwo expressed hope that if the Ministry of Transport approves its proposal, RTEAN is capable of moving against touting and diversion of revenue due to government by drivers’ unions, like the National Union of Road Transport Union (NURTW) and United Drivers Welfare Association (UDWA).

According to him, RTEAN is the only registered body recognised by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to operate as a transport employer and oversee activities in the transport sector, including drivers.

The RTEAN boss stressed that drivers’ unions, whose bodies are merely registered by Corporate (CAC), have tended to sidetrack RTEAN and embarked on appropriating responsibilities meant for the association, a situation he attributed to the endless ticket racketeering and diversion of revue to private pockets. (The Guardian)

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