Abia Govt Speaks On Keke Ban, Reveals What Will Happen To Operators

Abia State government has dismissed reports of a possible ban on commercial tricycles, popularly called Keke, assuring operators and residents that there is no plan to stop their operations across the state.

The government said it would rather focus on regulating the activities of Keke operators and other commercial vehicles to create a cleaner, more efficient transportation system and reduce congestion in major cities.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Otti, Naija News reports.

Kanu said the government would not succumb to pressure to ban Keke operations when there was no compelling reason to do so.

He acknowledged that the number of Keke operators in the state had increased following restrictions on their operations in some neighbouring states.

According to him, the administration’s priority is to streamline their operations rather than impose a blanket ban.

The commissioner also disclosed that the state government was processing another batch of Abians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa for repatriation and reintegration.

He said the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection was coordinating the exercise while maintaining contact with leaders of the Abia community in South Africa.

The ministry, he explained, was identifying and verifying other stranded Abians who may require assistance to return home.

Kanu assured affected residents that the state government would continue to support them.

“The state government will not relent in providing assistance to our less fortunate brothers and sisters who are facing difficult circumstances in South Africa.

“Through the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, we will continue to identify such Abians and make efforts to ensure that they return safely to the country and to their home state,” he said.

On infrastructure, Kanu said direct-labour maintenance works had been carried out at 43 locations across the state during the period under review.

He disclosed that two projects had been completed. They include the rainy-season maintenance of the 5.2-kilometre Umuehim-Okpuala Ngwa Road, which links Isiala Ngwa North and South Local Government Areas, and the 250-metre access road to Chidi Ubani Memorial Hospital at the Obingwa Local Government Headquarters.

Kanu said 26 road projects were still under contract, although heavy rainfall had slowed construction work at several locations.

He added that survey and inspection activities were ongoing to ensure that contractors complied with approved road alignments, levels and specifications.

Kanu also described the recently concluded 2026 Abia Women’s August Meeting as a new model for grassroots development and strategic empowerment of women across the state’s 17 local government areas.

He said the programme had evolved beyond its traditional cultural and social activities to include economic empowerment, skills acquisition, social protection and support for vulnerable women.

According to him, the initiative reflected Governor Otti’s commitment to empowering women and the First Lady’s agenda for women’s mobilisation and development.

The commissioner further revealed that the state’s Sexual Assault Referral Centres recorded eight cases of sexual and gender-based violence during the period under review.

The survivors, he said, were aged between four and 25.

Kanu disclosed that alleged perpetrators included neighbours, landlords, family members and an employee, with some of the victims reportedly subjected to repeated assaults.

He said the centres were providing medical, psychosocial and legal assistance to survivors while working with security agencies to ensure that alleged perpetrators were prosecuted.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Maureen Aghaukwa, said the state government fully supported women during the August meeting and provided various skills-acquisition opportunities and empowerment items.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, and the Chief Information Officer of the state, Mr Gerald Illukwe, attended the briefing.