Election: Travellers flood stations

With only two days from the presidential election, the transport sector is hit with a higher density of travellers moving to their homes for fear of post-election violence, despite safety assurances from the Federal Government and security agencies.Daily Trust observed that although the current rate of exodus could not be compared with that of few […]

With only two days from the presidential election, the transport sector is hit with a higher density of travellers moving to their homes for fear of post-election violence, despite safety assurances from the Federal Government and security agencies.
Daily Trust observed that although the current rate of exodus could not be compared with that of few days before the postponed February 14 elections day, many people were seen leaving their residences along with their family members to perceived places of ‘safety’.
The police recently said there would be security during the elections, urging people to vote peacefully and remain law abiding. The military and other security personnel are also deployed to flash points in Kaduna and other states, while more checkpoints are established in the Abuja city centre.
But passengers said they had other reasons to travel, some unconnected with the elections.
Onyebuchi Maka, a businessman who was set to travel at the luxury bus terminus in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, said it was a routine for him to travel midweek to Onitsha in the South-east to order for his clothing wares.
He, however, added: “My colleagues and brothers who do business in the far North like Kano, Sokoto and Katsina are moving home in droves because there could be crises there. But we pray for peaceful elections.” 
Another traveller who was seen with his family at the luxury park in Utako, Abuja, said he was moving them home till the elections are held. 
Akpobome Charles, heading for the south-south, said: “Let me be frank, I close late from work. So, what if anything happens, how will I secure my family? So I had to plan this trip for them to spend the Easter break in the village.” 
In his reaction to the development, the Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Jabi Park in Abuja, said that the rate of travelling was not alarming, adding that many travellers believed that the election tension has been doused with the recent postponement of election dates.
“Let me tell you, before the February 14 date, we were loading over 20 of our long shuttle vehicles daily for almost two weeks for eastern, western and North-east and North-west routes because of the passengers that were trooping in. 
“Now, we struggle to load 10 a day. If there is money, maybe many people who have travelled because the elections will celebrate Easter break at home,” Malam Ali Gombe said.
In another twist, some drivers accused government of hoarding fuel to trim down motorists’ activities. The drivers, who spoke at different terminals operated by some state governments including Delta Line, Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC), Gombe Line and Taraba State Transport Company (TSTC), said fuel scarcity was hampering their business as they used to spend hours queuing for fuel.
One of them said: “Even if there are passengers, we have to look for fuel first because there is scarcity in Abuja town. We can’t buy black market for our long trip as the fares will be high and passengers would face 50 percent increase from the current fares.”
They called on the government to check the fuel scarcity menace, otherwise, they said, it could mar movements after elections.
Meanwhile, an official from CISLAC, a civil society group, said the failure to resolve the fuel scarcity problem may have caused the petroleum marketers to hoard the product. The official said that the fuel scarcity would impact negatively on the economy.
He feared that transport fares may soar after the Saturday’s election with many people likely to travel. ‘With few vehicles available if the fuel scarcity persists, the few operators may have to raise their fares, just to exploit the masses from the situation.”