Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, KORAN, has petitioned the National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP, over the ownership of ‘KEKE NAPEP’ as a trade mark.

The petition followed a lawsuit instituted against the association by a private concern, Autobahn Techniques Limited, claiming that ‘KEKE NAPEP’ was its registered trade mark.

Consequently, Autobahn said no organisation or individual had the right to use the trade name to import tricycles into the country.

But, in a petition sent to the National Coordinator of NAPEP, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Poverty Eradication, KORAN said the clarification became necessary in view of the fact that NAPEP was an acronym for the National Poverty Eradication Programme, which is a creation of the Federal Government.

In the petition signed by National President, Alhaji Bashir Akinola, and Secretary, Board of Trustees, Princess Esther Ogunbanjo, KORAN also noted  ‘Keke’ as a generic name adopted all over the country for tricycles, irrespective of the supplier.

The association noted that when NAPEP idea was conceived by government, two companies, Bhojwani Brothers and Autobahn Techniques Limited, were shortlisted, noting that Autobahn was, however, given the job because of the quality of its APE’ D3S (Piaggio) model of tricycle against the Bajaj model by Bhojwani.

Wondering why the company would lay claim to the ownership of NAPEP trade mark, KORAN said the relationship between Autobahn and the Federal Government was that of employer/contractor, as the contract awarded the company was fully financed by government and paid for up front by 100 percent.

KORAN noted that the certificate of registration bandied about by Autobahn was not from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, but with the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry and was only registered on October 15, 2010, which is four months ago.

KORAN, therefore, asked the coordinator to clarify whether there was official authority that KEKE NAPEP, as a trade mark, should be registered as a property of Autobahn and whether there was a written admittance that the name is a recognised trade mark of Autobahn.