Kano news: Keke, tricycle riders strike and how e dey affect pipo for di northern city
"I get problem for leg e dey pain me and wia I wan go still dey far dis na why I siddon dey rest, I no fit remember last time wey I waka like dis, maybe wen I still dey small."
Dat na wetin 56 year old Hajiya Hajara tell di BBC reporter wey meet her as she siddon by di roadside on di first day wen tricycle riders wey pipo popularly sabi as keke riders begin strike for Kano state wey dey northern Nigeria. Di strike don enta di second day now, and hundreds of pipo still dey trek as keke wey be di major source of transport no dey road again. Why Keke riders dey strike Di whole kasala start afta goment decide to begin fully implement di N100.00 daily levy dem bin impose on di keke riders. Plenti riders dey against di new order for dem to pay through Remita, online method. Keke rider Sani Ibrahim tell BBC say at first, na di N100 levy dey pain am but as tins dey now, e no mind to dey pay am but di method no go suit im daily activities. "How dem expect keke riders to go cyber cafe, online go pay anoda money to cafe owners come pay goment dia own, you can imagine di queue wey e go cause." E also add say, as e no dey comot work for two days now, e save small money wey im and im family dey use chop but dey hope say goment go reason with dem and change dia tactics on di mata. Pipo dey back of truck on first day of keke strike in Kano But tok tok pesin of di state TrafficAgency Nablisi Kofar Na'isagoment say dis levy mata don dey since. "Dis N100 daily levy no be today but goment observe say a large percentage no dey pay am because na hand to hand payment so goment come decide say di best way na through remita(online) wia di payment go go directly to goment account." "So dem meet us say make we pardon dem and remove di levy and we tell dem say no because di levy go helep goment improve road and oda infrastructure wey una dey enjoy." E tok. Empty Kano road on first day of keke strike Wetin be di impact of di strike? Oyibo say when two elephants fight na di grass dey suffer. For residents of Kano, no be small palava. Official figures from 2006 census estimate say Kano get 13.6 million population although recent estimates say na 18 million. And although Kano get oda means of transportation, a major part of di population, millions of pipo depend on keke to take dem from point A to point B. Halilu Uba tell BBC say on di first day, e lose business deal because client wey dey wait am give di job to anoda pesin. "I comot spend over one hour dey look for transport to go see dat client na so I miss dat chance because I no make am on time and e give di job out." Kano goment say dem go roll in buses to cover up for di keke strike Wetin be goment stance? For now, goment say no shaking for dia decision. Head of Kano Road Traffic Agency Bappa Dan Agundi tell BBC say goment no dey bothered by di strike and na opportunity for investors with mega transports buses to come in. "Dis strike no dey worry us and infact dis na chance for investors with modern transport plans to come in." "I receive plenty calls from kano pipo wey dey happy about dis keke strike because dem say di state dey more beautiful without dem. We dey plan 200 buses at first to helep for di city." E tok."I get problem for leg, e dey pain me and wia I wan go still dey far dis na why I siddon dey rest, I no fit remember last time wen I waka like dis, maybe when I still dey small."