Hardship: Rights Group Canvasses for Subsidized Mass Transport Scheme in Delta 

A human rights group, the Organisations for Human and Peoples Rights Protection and Humanitarian (OHPRPH), has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori-led administration in Delta State to provide a subsidized mass transport scheme for the people of the State to cushion their economic hardship.

This was contained in a statement signed by the national president of the organisation, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, an investigative journalist and publisher of FocalPoint Reports.

In the statement made available to newsmen in Warri on Tuesday, the organization appealed to Governor Obovrevwori to “initiate a 50% fare subsidy to enable Deltans to move around at ease despite the current economic hardship being experienced in the country”.

The organization suggested that “if possible, the state government should acquire buses for mass transit and also establish partnerships with private transporters as was done in the era of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in Delta, who acquired over 130 Mass-Transit Buses, thus ensuring that Deltans moved around in comfortable vehicles at affordable cost”.

The organization also advised the State Governor to establish a committee to explore the possibilities of acquiring electric vehicles for mass transit since fuel subsidy removal had grossly escalated fuel costs, thus leading to increased transportation expenses for workers.

The statement partly reads, “Currently, Deltans are experiencing high cost of transportation, though the primary cause was the fuel subsidy removal and the noninvestment of the state government into the transport sector to ease commuting and small-scale business.

“The other factor is that the state government has no regulatory measures in place to check excessive increment of transportation costs and activities of ‘agberos’ who encourage transporters to increase transport fares at impulse.

“Governor Sheriff Obovrevwori should know better that Deltans are experiencing Multi-dimensional hardship, the worst of its kind. Delta State will not feel it this hard if the state governments had initiated micro projects geared towards addressing basic needs of Deltans.

There is no doubt that the state governor had good intentions for, prioritizing mega projects such as bridges and road construction, building universities in the state.

“Governor Sheriff Obovrevwori should, as a matter of urgency, direct the Ministry of Housing, Economic Planning, Transport, and Agriculture to embark on micro community-based projects to regulate and provide affordable housing schemes that will decongest the cities and ensure that residents have some space for farming. Economic planning should get out of their office and get usable data that will enable the state government to plan economically viable micro-scale projects.

“Ministry of Transport should provide and regulate affordable, decent transport means and flush out the garage touts who unleash terror on private transports over refusal to dance to their tune.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has no business enjoying air conditioned offices; they should get into the field and even ensure that every civil servant is encouraged to have their farms. They should deploy agricultural extension workers to tour farms and provide instant support to boost cropping and life-stocking activities.

“As we speak, most cities in Delta State are battling with this high cost of living, mostly transportation and high cost of housing. Ughelli Agbor, Abraka, Asaba, Ogwashi-Uku Ozoro, Warri, Sapele, and a whole lot of other developing towns are suffering from this menace.

“Delta State government will be indecently encouraging street boys economy by indiscriminately empowering them with appointments as SSA and SA’s and thereby allowing civil servants and petty traders to wallow in penury and agony of excruciating hardship.

“The state government will be performing poorly by doing nothing about the high costs of house rent with its extortionist charges notably caution fees, Agent fees, landlord drink, etc.

“There is absolutely nothing productive about the cities that made it so expensive. The few small scale factories are barely surviving while the noticeable most vibrant business currently done by young people is 70% Yahoo/ hookup just at a time that the rate of kidnapping and armed rubbery are also advancing from bad to worst.

“All the above highlighted challenges are pointers to Government to intervene strongly, without any further delay, for posterity as a stitch in time saves nine”.