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The dispute between Keke Owners and Riders Association of
Nigeria (KORAN) and Autobahn Techniques Limited has reached a melodramatic
level as members of KORAN, at the weekend sought clarification as to the
ownership of the trademark name ‘Keke NAPEP.’ The association asked the
National Coordinator of National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Magnus
Kpakol to clarify whether there is an official authority that ‘KEKE NAPEP,’ as
a trade mark, should be registered as a property of Autobahn.

The association noted that when the tricyle idea was conceived
by government, two companies; Bhojwani Brothers and Autobahn Techniques Ltd
were shortlisted, noting that Autobahn was however given the job because of the
higher quality of tricycle it imports against the Bajaj model by Bhojwani.
Their grouse is that NAPEP is an acronym for the National Poverty Eradication
Programme, which is a creation of the Federal Government and should not be
identified with a private establishment.

KORAN said that the relationship between the federal government
and Autobahn was that of employer/contractor relationship and therefore
ownership of the project “Keke NAPEP” should not be treated as a personal
property. In a petition signed by KORAN’s National President, Bashir Akinola
and its Secretary, Esther Ogunbanjo, -the association held that ‘Keke’ is a
generic name adopted all over the country for tricycles, irrespective of the
supplier and asked the national co-ordinator of NAPEP to clarify the confusion
about the ownership of name.

Many-layered fight

Autobahn was contracted by the federal government to develop and
implement the ‘keke NAPEP’ project in 2000. Since the contract was initiated ,
the company has been involved in a law suit over the trademark’s name.

Last year, NAPEP dragged Autobahn before the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) for allegedly failing to supply all the tricycles as
contracted by the federal government But prior to this, a report by NEXT has it
that Autobahn had accused Mr. Kpakol of deliberately delaying the payment of
the contract fee by twice issuing the contractor dud cheques.