No Decision Yet To Ban Okada Operations In Nigeria, Says FG
THE Federal Government, on Thursday, October 20, said it was yet to take a final decision to outlaw the operation of motorcycles, popularly called Okada, as a form of commercial transportation in the country.
Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, made the clarification in Abuja, while speaking at the Annual Strategic Stakeholders Summit of the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle & Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), following trending reports of plans by government to ban the mode of commercial transportation and mining activities to curb arm supply to terrorists.
The Attorney General the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had given the indication in July, saying: “Placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities will cut the supply of logistics to the terrorists. This will be done in the national interest.”
But Adegoroye clarified that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has not taken any decision on the proposed ban, saying: “By the grace of God, I’ve been a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the highest decision-making body in this country today, and I’ve been there now since July.
“Let me assure you and assure ACOMORAN that there is no decision to ban Okada.”
While congratulating the President of ACOMORAN, Prince Samsudeen Apelogun,
on the successful organisation of the event, the minister added: “There are a few issues I will like to make comments on. The Federal government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, is also desirous of putting in place a mass transit system that will not fail like those of the past.
“It is true that several governments in the past have done one or two things to promote mass transit and ensure that our people are able to move from one place to the other seemlessly and easily, but nobody is a repository of knowledge, nobody has monopoly of wisdom.
“ACOMORAN also have a right and a duty to this country. So, we will put heads together.”
Earlier, Apelogun identified unemployment as one of the major factors that brought motorcycles and tricycles into the transportation system, saying many of the riders are graduates who take to the trade to eke out a living and improve their fortunes due to the dwindling economy.
“It is an open discussion that our operations in a few states in Nigeria are being restricted and riders’ motorcycles are confiscated and destroyed, which affects many innocent riders who took loans to buy their bikes.
“These include young graduates who have tried unsuccessfully to find gainful employment. The governments hinged their decisions fundamentally on two factors- accidents and insecurity.
“As an association, we have responded accordingly, presenting to the government the effects of that proposed policy. We shall have the train-the-trainers workshop where we educate our members, in fulfillment of one of my electoral promises.”
While acknowledging the sanctity of life, Apelogun also condoled the families of all those who lost their lives, at one time or another, in a motorcycle-related crash, calling on the government to pay adequate attention to details, so that more problems are not created to solve the issue.
He suggested steps, including integration and regulation to encourage transportation security control databases, such as NISPSAS, with the Iinistry of Interior and ACORIDE system and specifically, “a formalisation that will enable government to have more internal revenue generation and replace the current extortion by non-state actors, which can be dedicated to road maintenance.
