Commercial transporters have resolved to withdraw their services in all parts of Ebonyi State from Thursday, The PUNCH has learnt.
The National Chairman of the Association of Mass Transit Operators, Gregory Inyaba, made the declaration after their emergency meeting on Thursday in Enugu.
Inyaba said the sealing of parks in Abakaliki by the state government had since Tuesday caused unprovoked attacks on staff, facilities and vehicles of transport firms by persons suspected to be agents working for the state.
A source said the transporters were asked to relocate to a central park designated for them, but had refused to do so after a six-month notice.
But Inyaba said the attacks were unprovoked, unwarranted and amounted to open hostility to investments, hence the boycott.
According to him, members of the Public Transport Owners Association of Nigeria were also part of the boycott.
He said, “Vehicles belonging to members – with passengers- from other states were similarly attacked on Wednesday as a result of this development. How can you attack vehicles coming into Ebonyi with passengers from other states?”
When contacted, the Commissioner for Capital City Development, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, said the parks were sealed following refusal by the transport companies to move to the central park, designated by the state government for them.
