By Adia Jildo
The minister of local government and Law Enforcement in Central Equatoria State has dissolved the national boda-boda association following the fraudulent incident that led to the death of one of its members and three other people wounded in crossfire.
Moro Isaac Jenesio, the minister of local government told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper journalist in an exclusive interview that the association had become more of a threat than a supporting body to its members.
“The boda-boda association was becoming more of a security threat and more of a politically motivated association rather an ordinary association that is there to help those involved in the boda-boda activities,” he said. “We issued an order to completely dissolve the association,” the minister affirmed closure of the body.
Moro said the chairperson of the association (Abraham, best known by his one name) had threatened some of the boda-boda riders and would label accusation on those who failed to pay, aligning them with rebels so that they would comply to pay.
“There was an issue initially raised by the boda-boda members that they were being intimidated by the chairperson of the association,” he stated.
“Most of them (boda-boda men) that came were arrested when they were not able to pay the fine, they were chained and were threatened by accusing them that they were actually rebels to compel them to pay,” he stressed.
Moro said the case led to the closure of the association office which later was opened by the chairperson again.
“We worked on the issue and the same Abraham decided to threaten some of the boda-boda men arrest warrants were processed but he was found to be a lieutenant colonel and an active person in the military,” the minister disclosed.
He said the dissolution is acted with effect further assuring of crackdown of any association in town citing that the role will only be played by the city mayor and the commissioners of the particular counties to organize and protect the association.
“The mayor and commissioner within their jurisdiction will be in charge of the boda boda association by democratically organizing, supervising and controlling the association so that their mandate will not extend to the mandate of causing security threat and becoming a political threat,” he underscored.
The Central Equatoria State minister of Local government cautioned that anyone who shall operate shall be arrested.
“If there is anything requiring prosecution, a case shall be prosecuted against him,” he noted.
He said those who were arrested in the boda-boda association scuffle incident are kept in safety and those injured are under treatment.