Have you been in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital lately? The tranportation system is changing. The white and green colour of ‘micra’, ‘danfo’ and ‘Keke Ajumose’ is set to be replaced with the old traditional Oyo colour-maroone and yellow which is otherwise known as ‘gbegiri and omi obe’ by the people of the state.
The maroone colour looks like stew (omi obe) while the yellow colour on the upper part looks like beans soup (gbegiri).
InsideOyo.com learnt that commercial drivers are in ‘serious’ dillema as the deadline for changing to the new colour approaches. It was learnt that the Oyo State ministry of works and transport has given next Wednesday, 21st June, 2017 as deadline.
Speaking with InsideOyo.com, some of them want government to give them more time as ‘business is not moving; it is not how it used to be in the past’. One of them simply identified as Tiri, who drives a ‘micra’ said ‘one needs N10, 000 to get this small car painted. It is too much; some are even doing it themselves.
Invetigations by InsideOyo.com show that only few have changed to the colour. These are people who were repairing their cars and buses before the directive was ordered. They just used that avenue to repaint it.
“It may be because government wants to phase out rickety vehicles that they are embarking on this. People with vehicles whose outer layers are not okay will find it difficult painting the vehicles,” another driver said.
Though InsideOyo.com was unable to speak with representative of government before filing this report, unconfirmed report has it that the decision of government cannot be disconnected from the victory of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN over the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
“Soon, men of the RTEAN will start working. It may be in the bid of government to forestall trouble that it ordered that all vehicles be painted in the traditional colour,” one of them retorted, adding that “it would help in reducing cases of kidnapping. We will know ourselves with the collour and number.”
