The Acting General Manager of Ebonyi State Transport Corporation, EBOTRANS, Mr. Simon Idenyi, has emphasized with regret that the continued enforcement of sit-at-home in the southeast region is gradually killing the region’s economy.
Idenyi who made this known while speaking with newsmen in Abakaliki, said that the enforcement of the sit-at-home has become a great witchcraft to the region.
He said the sit-at-home alongside the hike in the fuel pump price and the cost of maintenance, caused by the rise in the dollar exchange rate has affected transportation, and increased pains and sufferings of Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas.
“The sit-at-home is a kind of witchcraft that is affecting Igbo land, at this time, we don’t need it. It is rather reducing the economy of the SouthEast region. We are losing, and we will not know the effects till other tribes will start to be richer than us, it is too terrible.
In a related development, Idenyi, also urged the state governor, Francis Nwifuru to consider giving subvention or grant to the state-owned transport corporations, as it was done to Ebonyi State University and other state-owned institutions.
He said the subvention will enable the state transport corporation to purchase vehicles, tackle other challenges and recruit staff, noting that in the next five years, there will be no staff left in the corporation as many will soon retire or resign.
“Some of our buses were vandalized, grounded or affected by human errors. Government doesn’t give us money but we run this place for the public interest and that of the state government. Since the creation of Ebonyi State in 1996, there are many government establishments that have folded but EBTRANS have not folded.
“If you close down this place, about 200 people working here will be jobless and it’s not easy to get jobs now, and that’s why we have decided to open fourteen other branches across the country, as a way to create jobs for the people.
“We have three major challenges; the sit-at-home, the hike in the fuel pump price and the cost of maintenance caused by the rise in the dollar exchange rate” and further vowed that the above challenges won’t push the corporation to increase the price of transportation, especially in this Christmas celebration.
“We will not increase the price of transportation, even on the verge of suffering from the above challenges. Far be it to us to increase the price of transportation. Politicians are not happy that we are reducing the price of transportation but we are determined to make life affordable to the poor people,” he stated.
