The chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Tricycle Owners of Nigeria (TOAN), Comrade Joshua Nwafor, has raised an alarm about an alleged move by the former chairman, Comrade Kingsley Edeh, to continue to exact daily ticketing from tricycle riders, popularly called Keke Riders in the state.
NewsBits reports that Comrade Nwafor raised the alarm as a result of the banning and cancellation of the daily ticketing by the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, recently. Speaking in an interview on the issue, Nwafor accused the former chairman, Edeh, of colluding with his former exco to continue to collect daily ticketing from his members (Keke operators).
He alleged that Edeh is insisting that what Governor Mbah cancelled was not the entire daily ticketing and levy but the state government daily ticketing of N400,00, claiming that the N250,00 for local government and the N100,00 for the Union remain operative.
As a result, Nwafor also alleged that Edeh and his cohorts have decided to enforce the payment starting this week. Worried by this development, Nwafor called on TOAN members not to give in to Edeh’s intimidation and intrigues but to stick to the declaration made by the governor.
He said: “I have gathered from good authority that the former chairman of TOAN, Comrade Kingsley Edeh, has hatched plans to continue to extort Keke riders on daily ticketing of N250,00 for local government and N100,00 for the Union.
“On no account should any Keke operator pay any money to Edeh and his cohorts. The governor has banned and cancelled the daily ticket, and on it we stand.”
The TOAN boss pointed out that Edeh is working in collaboration with the Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue, ESIR, Mr. Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, to force keke riders to continue to pay the banned daily ticketing fees.
However, when asked to comment on the development, Edeh, whose tenure expired on March 27, 2025, said that he remained the TOAN chairman notwithstanding his impeachment on November 22, 2022. He said that what he intends to do is legitimate because what the Governor banned was not the local government and the union levies.
“Who made him, Nwafor, chairman? Who is he ruling? To the best of my knowledge Comrade Joshua Nwafor is working directly with the TOAN national led by Comrade Augustine Apeh, the National President,” Ede said. “Let him do whatever he wants to do. Governor said no payment of the government daily ticketing is for the local government and union levies.
“Union has the right to impose levy on its members. Union should operate on its own. Is there any Union that can operate without money to run it. If he knows that what I am doing is not right. Let him come and challenge me,” he declared.
Edeh also said that he has sued Nwafor and his group for dragging him to court, in which he defeated them twice and is now claiming damages. Reacting to the allegation that he is colluding with Edeh to extort the Keke riders, the Chairman of ESIR, Mr. Ekene Nnamani, was livid and said that he should not be dragged into nonsense.
According to Nnamani, Gov. Mbah at a media parley had explained that he did not ban the union dues and the local government levy but that accruing to the state government.
“You propagate news you do not understand. Governor said that he only removed the government levy. I am not afraid of your falsehood. Whatever I am doing, I have the governor’s backing,” Nnamani explained.
