Following a royal appeal from the Asagba of Asaba for a cleaner state capital, the Director General, Taskforce and Monitoring of the Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association (COMTOA), Amb. Chief Uchenna Okafor, has launched a cleanliness sensitisation campaign targeting tricycle operators in Asaba.
The move comes after a recent meeting between the Delta State COMTOA leadership and His Royal Majesty, the Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof.) Chike Edozien. During the meeting, the revered monarch expressed concern over the growing untidiness of the city and urged commercial transport stakeholders to play their part in ensuring the state capital remains clean at all times.
He specifically called on the tricycle community, popularly referred to as “keke” operators, to take responsibility for the appearance and hygiene of the parks and terminals they operate from.
Responding swiftly to the royal call, Amb. Okafor embarked on a grassroots sensitisation tour of tricycle parks across Asaba. The Director General personally visited two key COMTOA branch chairmen in the capital – Mr. Ismail Duda and Mr. Ogbueshi Dumebi – to drive home the message of cleanliness and community responsibility.
Speaking to operators at the various parks, Chief Okafor stressed the importance of the initiative, not only as a response to the royal plea but as a step toward public health and environmental sustainability.
“The Asagba has spoken, and we must act,” Okafor said. “Clean parks reflect a disciplined union and a respectful community. We must ensure that our operations do not contribute to the filth of this city. Instead, let us become part of the solution.”
He urged union members to institute daily cleaning routines, encourage proper waste disposal, and report sanitation challenges to the appropriate authorities. He also reminded the operators that cleaner environments attract more passengers, which translates to better income and a more positive public image for COMTOA members.
At the Ogbeke Square park, where he met with Branch Chairman Ogbushi Dumebi, the Director General was received warmly by a crowd of keke drivers who pledged their support for the cleanliness drive. In his response, Dumebi described the initiative as timely and necessary, assuring the DG that his branch would mobilise volunteers to maintain the sanitation of the park.
“We appreciate this visit. It shows leadership by example,” said Dumebi. “We are committed to supporting this directive, and we shall begin immediate implementation.”
Similar commitments were echoed at the Abraka Park, where Chairman Ismail Duda highlighted existing challenges such as waste collection delays and inadequate refuse bins. The DG promised to relay these concerns to the state environmental agencies and facilitate partnership for better service delivery.
“Cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility,” said Duda. “With the support of our DG and the backing of the royal palace, we have no excuse.”
The Asagba’s appeal, viewed by many as a fatherly intervention, has reignited public discourse on civic responsibility and the role of transport unions in urban sanitation.
Chief Okafor, who has led several reforms in the commercial transport sector in Delta State, assured the public that the union would continue to support policies that promote cleanliness, orderliness, and development.
“Let this be the beginning of a new chapter,” he said. “We are not just operators. We are citizens and stakeholders in the progress of this city.”
The sensitisation campaign is expected to extend to other parts of Delta State in the coming weeks.
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