In his effort to assist and bring sanity into the transport sub-sector, Governor Udom Emmanuel has launched insurance scheme for worker of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport in the state.
This was part of the decisions reached at the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting held at the Exco Chambers of the Government House, Uyo, the State capital.
According to Government House sources, “the move is a deliberate political maneuver aimed at capturing the road transport sector ahead of the governor’s reelection plan in 2019”.
But the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, who briefed reporters at the sideline of the meeting, ruled out political connotation in the government’s plan, saying the scheme became necessary to in order to offset losses incurred by transporters in the event of accidents.
He explained that the scheme would be funded through what he called “five percent deductions from daily ticket sales that would be generated from tricycle operators, mini buses and taxis”.
“The governor has approved that transport operators should benefit from insurance scheme. The idea of the scheme is to ensure that their losses are taken care of in the event of accidents”, he explained, adding that “five percent of daily tickets will be remitted to the insurance company that will also bear part of the risk”.
Udoh also announced other resolutions taken by the Exco to include the takeover of no fewer than seven private schools by government in some Local Government Areas including Ikot Ekpene, Mkpat Enin, Eastern Obolo, Oruk Anam, Okobo and Ibiono Ibom.
He said the takeover became necessary for local residents of those communities to have unhindered access to government free education policy.
“Although basic education is free and compulsory in public schools, there are still several communities that have good private schools but are not benefiting from the policy and government is determined to take this to all nooks and crannies of the State”, he explained.
“So the government has approved that the seven community schools, from September, becomes government-owned-to enable pupils of those schools benefit from the policy”, he added.
Besides, the Commissioner disclosed that the SEC granted approval for the State development master plan, which, according to him, aimed at launching massive infrastructural revolution in the rural communities.
