Tears as 500 luxury bus workers set to lose job in relocation to new park in Onitsha

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON), has raised alarm that no fewer than 500 of its workers would lose their job following the relocation of parks to new bus terminal in Onitsha, Anambra state.

The luxury owners especially those who loads at Izu Chukwu park appealed to governor Willie Obiano and commissioner for transport Mr. Uchenna Okofor to allow them to remain where they were operating at upper Iweka since the park did not extend to the expressway or block the road.

The National Task force Chairman of ALBON, Chief Joseph Ejiofor and the Chairman of Anambra state zone ALBON Mr. Uchenna Maduakor while briefing newsmen yesterday said that if they relocate to the new park at Okpoko which they said is far from their area, their business would be crippled and many people would lose their job thereby creating problem for the youths who feeds from their park.

"We have been here at Izu Chukwu park since 2008 loading our luxury buses but they said we should relocate to a new park at Okpoko which far from us. We have over 500 workers feeding from this park. Our park is a private park which we are paying for our rent annually, most of us just paid for the year and some boys came and announced that we should relocate even when our park is not along the expressway or neither does it block the road".

"We don't cause gridlock, we have been helping to control traffic. Government should allow us to remain we are, we are not on the road, we are inside Izu Chukwu park approved by the government and who pays revenue to the government, we wondered why they said we should relocate to the new park while others are still where they load while singling us out. We appeal to the governor to come to our aid, we know him as hardworking governor who meant well for the state but he should listen to the cry of the people who feed from this park"

"We appealed to the state government to allow us to remain in our park or alternatively they should give us another place closer to our customers. That new place is not even government park, it is being managed by individual. Government did not inform us before embarking on that project because it is not government park then why trying to force us to go the park when we have our own park where we load comfortably".

"We have about seven luxury companies loading in this park who feed from this place. Anambra state government is the only state in the southeast zone that accommodate and support business to thrive and we commend governor Obiano for that and we app lead to him to consider the number of workers that will lose their businesses to the new order and have a rethink and look into the matter" the group stated.

Photo of passengers waiting at Izuchukwu park to board vehicle to fear of attack in respect to the relocation order by the government in Onitsha