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By Peter Bassey/Victor Essang
Over the years, illegal motor parks have somehow taken the place of the designated ones within Uyo metropolis. Successive governments in the state have fought this menace right from the military era.
A few years after becoming Governor in 1999, Obong Victor Attah established four ultra-modern motor parks away from the city centre for the ease of inter-local government area shuttles from and to Uyo. The parks are Mbiabong and Ikot Akpe Motor Parks in Uyo Local Government Area (LGA), Nung Oku Motor Park in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA and Itam Motor Park in Itu LGA.
The vision behind the strategic positioning of the parks was not only to give Uyo a befitting status as a modern state capital but also for the purposes of decongesting heavy vehicular traffic within Uyo as well as to enable a would-be passenger to board the appropriate vehicle to his destination with ease.
Also, the establishment of the parks was to enable the state government to keep accurate records of operators in the sector. Such data are vital for future plans for the development of the sector and blocking of financial leakages in the system.
However, it is unfortunate that the objectives of this noble vision has not been realised since the parks were built and commissioned about 20 years ago. The popular opinion is that under-utilisation of the motor parks is because of the proliferation of illegal motor parks within Uyo metropolis.
The State Of Things
Adorned with a well-designed and enormous space, aesthetic landscape, passengers’ waiting hall, modern toilet facilities, space for canteen, food vendors and floor-lights to illuminate the parks at night, as they were meant to function 24 hours a day, the four parks were built to taste. Initially, these parks were the pride of the state as there was none across the length and breadth of the country that could be compared with them.
But the same cannot be said about these parks today having been abandoned. Sizeable parts of the parks are over grown with grasses. They have also become habitats for dangerous reptiles.
Of great concern is that these parks are presently being used to serve other purposes for which they were not originally designed for.
No single passenger nor functional vehicle was seen either entering or exiting these parks when The Pioneer visited.
Also, the parks are in dilapidated state with some of the roofs blown off by wind storm or outrightly vandalised.
Mbiabong Motor Park
Mbiabong Motor Park was once a very busy park thronged by commuters and traders within and outside the state who journeyed to Oron, Atabong, Ibaka and Ishiet beach markets for their sea food businesses.
Today, it is a shadow of itself. It now serves as a temporary mechanic workshop for some members of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to fix their vehicles. The park has also been converted to a parking lot by traders and owners of building materials shops along Mbiabong Timber Market Road. A section of the park has been rented out as mini-ware house to dealers on building materials.
Flooding is a major challenge to the park. Its impact has been devastating for the park users, mostly the drivers as passengers shy away from wading through flood, when it rains, to board a vehicle.
Comrade Tony Ekpe, the chairman of Drivers’ Welfare Committee in the park, told The Pioneer, recently, at the illegal park near Ring Road 3 along Oron Road, that the perennial flood in the park was one of reasons they had to relocate from the park to the road. He refused to accept that their new park was illegal since they had no alternative. “Everyone of us here operates from the park because our operation here is linked to the park,” he argued. “This is how we operate here – after loading here we return to the park where we register our bookings and pay for our tickets before moving with passengers.” He claimed that “NURTW officials in the state are aware of what we do here.”
The chairman of NURTW in Mbiabong Park, Comrade Akaninyene Imoh Ekpenyong, said flooding and failure of the Taskforce on Motor Parks to clamp down on those loading passengers and goods for Oron around Shelter Afrique Junction, Royal Court and Ibiaku U-turn accentuate the spread of illegal parks. He said the Transportation ministry should come up with a position as to whether the mini-buses are for inter-local government area shuttles or town service, pointing out that a situation where the mini-buses load Oron or Ibaka from Ibom Plaza while the Oron-bound vehicles are in the park would not augur well for the development of the Mbiabong Park. Ekpenyong declared that once the Mbiabong Park is fixed, his members will to return to the park without any compulsion by the government.
Ikot Akpe Motor Park
The situation in Ikot Akpe Motor Park, located along Abak Road, is not different from others. There was no single vehicle found when The Pioneer visited.
Rather, the garage was converted into a “religious square” with four churches unmistakably present. Other available spaces were inhabited by different persons.The empty land was cultivated with cassava, vegetables and maize. Few women who were seen working in the farms told The Pioneer that they were ignorant when our reporter inquired to know when the park was abandoned.
However, a resident of the area, who gave his name as Enobong, said the park was abandoned five years ago, adding that the premises were being occupied by individuals. He said that the park was under the care of the village head of the area who, he alleged, rented out the park spaces to churches and individuals.
No official of the park was found at the park nor any mushroom park around the area. Investigations by our reporters revealed that the mini-plaza of Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, along Abak Road, is rather being used as a loading point by motorists heading towards the Abak and Etinan axis.
A Chairman’s Lamentation and Plan
The Chairman of Uyo Local Government Transition Committee, Dr Uwemedimo Udo, regretted the current state of the two motor parks in his area, recalling that the parks were in a state of complete dilapidation prior to being handed over to his administration by the immediate past administration. He lamented that the local government has not received a dime from the parks since they took them over from the state government.
Udo noted that unlike Ikot Akpe Park, the major challenge of the Mbiabong Park is flood. He said there is a plan to tackle the challenges of flood at Mbiabong Park so as to get it back in normal working condition.
On Ikot Akpe Park, the chairman pointed out that its major problem arose from the construction of Goodluck Jonathan Boulevard and the flyover. He said these projects have affected the park as it was not taken into consideration during their construction.
On a section of the park rented out to accommodation seekers, Udo said he supported the development as a strategic move by the park management committee to forestall further vandalisation of the facility.
Nung Oku Motor Park
Nung Oku Motor Park, located in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, is equally abandoned. When The Pioneer visited the park recently, not a single vehicle was seen inside.
Rather, what was commonplace was all manner of people, either sleeping or resting, under tall trees that provide shade. Besides, the park has become a huge farmland as people were busy cultivating every inch of land in the park. The canteen section has been rented out as rooms to people for accommodation and the administrative section of the park has been converted to a worship centre. The large generator house is empty.
A driver in an illegal park close to Goodluck Jonathan Boulevard, who gave name as Daniel Asuquo Akpan, said the Nung Oku Park is a waste of state government’s resources. He asked rhetorically the rationale behind building such a lofty and impressive motor park only to allow it to rot.
Akpan said that all the drivers loading at the illegal park are part and parcel of Nung Oku Park and they pay for loading tickets. According to him, their operations are recognised and protected by the NURTW. He accused drivers loading from Plaza and Aka Road by IBB Avenue as those operating from illegal motor parks. “We are part and parcel of the Nnung Oku Park,” he stressed. “It is the circumstances of the park and the fact that passengers do not come to the park due to the activities of the drivers at Plaza and Aka Road that bring us out here.”
The Ibesikpo Asutan Chairman’s Position
The chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Transition Committee, Mrs Akon Asuquo, told The Pioneer on telephone that there was no illegal park any where in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA and denied knowledge that the Nung Oku Park was abandoned.
When told the true situation of the park, she asked for time to ascertain things. “Don’t hurry to the press. Let me make some findings and get back to get to you,” she said. As at press time, she was yet to revert.
Itam Motor Park
But for the influx of inte-rstate transport activities in the central park, the story of Itam Park is not different from the three others as infrastructure in the park is completely dilapidated.
Taxis and buses running inter-local government area routes from Itam currently prefer to load at the illegal parks outside the Item Park.
Seeking the Itu Chairman’s Views in Vain
The Chairman of Itu Local Government Transition Committee, Barr Etetim Onuk, appeared unwilling to give an insight into the seeming desolate state of the Itam Park and the proliferation of illegal motor parks in the area. He repeatedly postponed appointments on the issue.
The Transportation Commissioner’s Explanation
The state commissioner for transportation, Mr Orman Esin, told The Pioneer that the four ultra-modern motor parks within the state capital were no longer under the control of his ministry as the state government, under the administration of Mr Udom Emmanuel, returned the parks to the respective local government areas they are located. He said it was the responsibility of the local governments to administer the parks. Therefore, they have taken over both the assets and liabilities of these parks, Esin further stated.
This simply implies that Ikot Akpe and Mbiabong Parks are the responsibility of the Uyo Local Government while Itam Park and Nung Oku Park are under the control of Itu Local Government and Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government, respectively.
The commissioner, however, disclosed there is an arrangement to fix the parks, adding that the ministry has invited the NURTW to collaborate with the local governments for the operation of the parks.
Emphasising that the ministry would not be saddled with the responsibility of running the parks, Esin said it would only carry out its oversight functions to ensure that the right things are done.
“Beyond revamping the dilapidated infrastructure, there is a need to remodel the parks to regain its glory. We are hoping that when we are set with the aspect of the management and operational process of the partnership between the local governments and the NURTW to enable the parks come on stream for full operation, the parks will be a cynosure of all eyes again,” he stated.
The NURTW’s Stance
The NURTW at the state level failed to make a stance. Comrade Uyobong, the secretary of the NURTW, Akwa Ibom Chapter, who spoke on telephone with The Pioneer, said he had no authority to speak on such a delicate issue. “I think it would be advisable that you direct your questions to the state Ministry of Transportation or respective park management committees,” he said.
Transportation as Catalyst to Tourism
The Umo Eno Administration has taken tremendous steps in rural-urban development including the development of tourism in the state.
Transportation, unarguably, is one of the key most important factors that contribute to the development of tourism. An effective transportation system is necessary to convey tourists, visitors and others from one tourism site to another. Modern and attractive motor parks are viable indices of an organised transportation system. Therefore, Transportation is a catalyst for the development of tourism, social development and other sectors of the economy.
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