By Ahmed Ajikobi
Some commercial motorcycle operators engaged by Opay, an online
payment platform, have accused the company manager in Ilorin, Kwara
State, Mr Kamaldeen Ibrahim of fraudulent practices and price
manipulation.
The Opay operators, some of who spoke with Pilot Crime accused that
manager of fraudulently reprogramming the price of one of its popular
commercial motorcycle service and illegally diverted the money into
his private account.
One of the operators of transport scheme who simply identified himself
as Timothy said there was a sudden change in the price of the service
which has affected their business negatively reduced their level of
patronage.
โI was told by other Opay operators that the machine has been
manipulated to overcharge the customerโ, he added.
Another rider, Olamide, on his party said he was discouraged by the
allege move of the manager to manipulate the system which has affected
their business negatively.
According to him, โI heard that he (manager) just acquired a car that
is worth about seven million naira. Although I have not set my eyes on
it, but the accusation is widespread among all of us operating the
service.
Another motorcyclist who simply identified himself as Yahaya told
Pilot Crime that the issue is beyond the Ilorin office of Opay and
alleged other officials in other parts of the country are involved in
the alleged scam.
A customer of the service, Daniel Alabi, told this medium that after
he highlighted from one of its trips around Ilorin General Hospital
that he was so sad of the sudden change in price of the service.
โBefore it was N50 to any place but now N100 and beyond. What many of
the operators are telling is that there is fraud going on in that
organisation.
But the Ilorin manager of the company, Mr Kamaldeen Ibrahim in his
reaction to the issue in his office along Ajase-Ipo road, Ilorin
denied the acquisition of any vehicle worth N7m and manipulating the
price of the service.
According to him, all the allegation about him flying around regarding
the issue are not false adding that there is nothing like manipulation
of system or acquisition of N7m car.
โI didn’t buy any car, where do I get N7m from. People are just
speculating and spreading rumour and nobody arrested me or charged me
to court.”
He explained the recent increase about the services thus:
โThe price is still 50 naira per drop depending on the distance. For
instance, if you make an order from my office to the gate just over
there, the price is N50. But if you move beyond the gate, the system
will charge more than the amount. The charge now based on kilometres
covered and it will be stated that your destination is within N50 to
N100 and beyond depending on the distance. That is what happened
unlike when it was flat
Meanwhile, Ibrahim said the company has sacked 100 riders for fraud
related offences adding that some customers have launched complaints
over untoward activities by the operator and the matter was
investigated.
โWhen customers came to complain, we check our system to discover how
genuine such complaints are. We punish the operators over such act for
the first two offences but sack such culprit the third time.
โWe have sacked up to 100 motorcycle operators that engaged for fraud
related activities from September till date. We are working on how to
increase the number of tricycles so that it will be easy for people
and we charge the customers not to jeopardise their lives because of
Opay service and avoid practice of two to three person on a
motorcycle.
