Anambra Keke Drivers Accuse VIO of Inflating Rider’s Permit Fee, Threaten Protest

Members of the tricycle operators’ association under the auspices of the Anambra Keke Drivers Forum (AKDF) have raised the alarm over the high cost of obtaining a rider’s permit in the state.
They called on Governor Charles Soludo to intervene and save them from what they described as arbitrary charges by officials of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), whom they accused of increasing the cost of obtaining the rider’s permit.
The operators lamented that despite the governor’s earlier assurance that they would not be required to make any additional payments after paying their statutory taxes, they are still being compelled to pay numerous levies imposed by both government agencies and non-state actors.
Speaking with our reporter, the Chairman of the Anambra Keke Drivers Forum (AKDF), Comrade Ifeanyi Okafor, said the state introduced the rider’s permit and that when they met with the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Edwards Ibuzo, they agreed that the permit would cost N5,250.
However, he regretted that when they went to the VIO office to make payment, they were told it would cost N9,500.
According to him, some operators were even asked to pay between N12,000 and N15,000 to obtain the rider’s permit, contrary to the amount agreed upon with the Commissioner for Transport.
“We had earlier met with the Commissioner for Transport, and he promised that the rider’s permit would cost N5,250. However, our members said they were being charged between N12,000 and N15,000. When we went to the VIO office, we met a woman who told us we should be paying N9,500,” he said.
He said that because the government had fixed September 1, 2026, for the commencement of enforcement, they decided to obtain the permit at the agreed price, only to discover that the amount had been increased.
“Somebody in Onitsha who wanted to obtain the permit was asked to pay N15,000. Here in Awka, one of our members was also asked to pay N15,000, while another was told to pay N12,500. We, the executive members, decided to find out the truth. When we went to the VIO office, they said we must provide our ASIN number. Some keke drivers do not have an ASIN number even though they pay their monthly dues to the government. She told us we could obtain it online, but whoever processes it online would charge us money. That is their job, and it is why they are being paid. For years they have not been doing much in the office, and now that people have come to register, they have started increasing the charges,” he said.
He alleged that they were being forced to pay the VIO additional money apart from the actual cost of the permit.
Okafor said that after visiting the VIO office, they went to see the Commissioner for Transport but did not meet him.
He said the commissioner later scheduled a meeting with them on Monday but was also unavailable. Consequently, the executives met and resolved that they would not pay any amount above the agreed N5,250.
According to him, since it is the government that introduced the permit, it is the government’s responsibility to process it without imposing additional charges on them.
He argued that ordinarily, anyone who pays taxes should not be required to pay separately for permits, noting that the keke riders, in support of the government’s directive, decided to comply and pay.
Okafor further alleged that the Anambra State Government is overtaxing keke drivers, placing an unbearable financial burden on them.
He said nobody grows up aspiring to become a keke driver, but that circumstances forced many of them into the occupation.
According to him, keke driving is a poverty alleviation programme designed to cushion the effects of economic hardship on the poor, but unfortunately, the government is worsening their situation through multiple taxes.
“The governor promised us that after paying our taxes, we would not be required to pay any other charges. Now they have introduced this rider’s permit. Initially, we wanted to reject it, but I pleaded with our members not to behave as though we were disobeying the government. At first, we rejected it because the governor assured us that after paying taxes, we would not pay anything else, but we later agreed to comply,” he said.
He stated that regarding the additional charges by the VIO, they had resolved not to pay them, warning that if the governor failed to call the VIO to order and officials commenced enforcement, they would have no option but to embark on a strike or stage a protest.
He maintained that since keke operation is a poverty alleviation initiative, the government should support those engaged in it instead of overtaxing them.
He also alleged that the VIO official instructed them to register online before returning for biometric capturing and that after completing the online registration, they were informed that approval and capturing would cost an additional N2,500.
According to him, the keke drivers are willing to pay the agreed N5,250, but it is the VIO that is preventing them from obtaining the permit.
He vowed that they would not allow the VIO to exploit them or create additional financial hardship for them.
According to him, everyone paying taxes ought to have an ASIN number. However, those who registered through the Oasis platform do not have ASIN numbers, whereas those who registered through Transpay do.
“Now it has become compulsory for everybody to have an ASIN number. We met the woman at the VIO office and asked her how much it would cost to obtain one. She said it would cost between N1,000 and N2,000, depending on who processes it for us.
“After all these, we decided to see the Commissioner for Transport, but we did not meet him. He gave us an appointment for Monday, but when we returned, he was still unavailable. We then met the head of the VIO to find out why it was difficult for them to process the permit at the agreed N5,250. He said we could register online and then come to their office for capturing,” he said.
Another keke driver, Mr. Vincent, alleged that the government was exploiting them through multiple taxes and various charges designed to keep them impoverished.
“We pay our taxes, and sometimes the payments do not even reflect. Yet they intimidate us and force us to pay for services we do not enjoy.
“The government did not buy keke for anyone, neither has the Anambra State Government provided any palliative for keke drivers. Most keke drivers operate on hire purchase. Some do not even sleep because they are struggling to meet their repayment obligations, yet the government continues to tax them heavily. Keke riders are suffering in Anambra State, and the government is adding to their hardship through multiple taxation.
“We are still saying that,the Revenue Office, the Ministry of Transport, and the VIO are collaborating to force us to pay for the rider’s permit,” he added.
According to him, they are overtaxed in the state, and there is hardly any keke rider living in decent accommodation.
He also claimed that no keke driver in Anambra State owns a house, yet they pay more to the government than many property owners in the state.
According to him, keke driving is a poverty alleviation programme, and instead of the government providing tricycles to operators at subsidised rates, it continues to punish them with excessive taxation.
He said no keke rider could afford to buy a brand-new tricycle outright, noting that most operators use hire-purchase arrangements.
According to him, the rider’s permit policy is merely another avenue for generating revenue from keke riders.
“When you go to the VIO office to pay, instead of collecting the agreed N5,250, they ask for N9,500. When we met one VIO officer at the Ministry of Transport, he told us the additional money was for logistics. What logistics? Are they supposed to be paid extra for doing the work they are already employed to do? We are not going to pay anything above N5,250. If they come out for enforcement, we will all come out in protest,” he said.
He added that if the governor does not intervene to stop what he described as extortion by the VIO, they would have no option but to stage a protest.