By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
A Port Harcourt-based company, GiG Logistics, has decried the ban placed on motorcycle-dispatch riding by the Rivers State Government since last month.
In a chat with TPCN on Thursday at the company’s office at Ada George, Port Harcourt, the coordinator of the company, who simply mentioned his name as Joseph, lamented that the ban was taking a toll on their business.
He also expressed worry that the new government policy was endangering the means of livelihood of dispatch riders who he said worked on commission basis.
Responding to the question of whether the ban is affecting their business, the district coordinator said: “Terribly. And it’s still causing a threat to people’s jobs, actually our dispatch riders.
“Aside our own company, most of them is basically how you deliver, that’s the way you get paid. So, it’s not really palatable for most of them. It’s a painful situation we find ourselves in RIvers State.”
Joseph debunked reports making the rounds that the Rivers State Government has issued operational permits to logistics companies that had applied for them.
According to him, since his company submitted its application last month, the state government had not responded.
“We’ve not been working since the ban came into effect. We’ve applied but till date, nothing is forthcoming. There’s news on the radio that government has started giving out
certificates. We tried to make our own findings through one or two insiders but as it stands now, nothing is forthcoming.
“So, all this news you’re hearing about issuing of certificate, I will tell you it’s a lie. Nothing is forthcoming and that’s still where we are till this present moment,” he said.
The GiG Logistics coordinator, who said they submitted their application two weeks ago, called on the Rivers State Government to open up on what they want Logistics companies to do to enable them continue with their business.
“Let us know what we are to do. If there’s a particular agency we need to register to, let them tell us; let them announce it if it’s something we have to make payment or negotiate, so that we know.
“We want to run business; we’re here to make business. We’re here to provide employment for people. So, if you’re making this thing difficult for us, a lot of people are suffering for this.
“Let them come up to us and say ok, this is what we want you to do and we’ll be fine. This silence is just killing everybody,” he complained.
On whether the problem could be connected with tax payment, he answered in the negative, noting, “We’ve never had issues with payment of tax. The one we need to renew on yearly basis, we do, because RIvers State is not somewhere you have to joke with that. In terms of owing anything that has to do with government, we don’t default.”
