By Demi Adeniyi
At least three frontline traditional rulers on Tuesday faulted plans by the Lagos State Government to extend statewide, the ban on commercial bike (okada) operations.
They were among the league of Obas, community leaders, CDC/CDA leaders from across the state, Youth leaders, Civil Based Society leaders, representatives of security and transportation related agencies among them the lead safety agency – Federal Roads Safety Corps, the Lagos Traffic Management Authority LASTMA, Officials of the Nigerian Police, Navy and Nigeria Army and hordes of others who gathered at the LTV Marque, Ikeja, to dissect the implementation of the okada ban and recommend the way forward for the government.
Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on June 1, 2022 slammed a total ban of bike operation in six local governments – Apapa, Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Ikeja, Surulere and Lagos Mainland, and their nine LCDAs.
But the Obas, publicly differed, with only the Oloregun of Oregun Oba (Dr) Olukunmi Olusesan Akingbola, being the only monarch throwing his weight behind calls for a total ban of commercial bikes in the state.
He listed a number of factors, chief among which were growing insecurity, crime and criminality, accident rates and road confusion, as some of the reasons why the okada ban must be extended statewide.
Oba Akingbola urged local governments to stop issuing riders permit to okada riders.
But other Obas at the event urged caution. The Onisabe of Sabe Oba Owolabi Adeniyi, said the government should thread softly on the issue of statewide ban of okada. He proffered that operators should be strictly regulated to instill discipline and orderliness.
Oba Adeniyi whose domain straddles Yaba LCDA, one of the councils on which the bike operation was banned, said Lagos must continue to provide a home and shelter as well as sustain all Nigerians.
He said until government come up with its intermodal plans efforts should be made to regulate rather than ban okadas operation in the state.
He said things like riders permit, riders’ identification cards and uniforms could be introduced to sanitise okada operations in the state.
The Oniba of Iba Kingdom Oba Adesina Sulaimon sided with the Onisabe, urging the government to thread softly especially being close to an election year.
He said virtually everyone has benefitted from okada operation, and had used it sometime in the past, and should therefore not rush into joining hands to muffle those who are using the means to eke out a living.
He took on Oloregun on the issue of riders permit, stating that it was the government that issues permits to riders and not the local governments. He said it is hypocrisy for government that has benefitted immensely from okada operations in taxes and levies to turn round to castigate the same sector just because there are some infractions that could be controlled.
Oba Sulaimon who says he has some of the operators close to him pointed out that rather than rushing at wrong-labeling the operators, government should recognise the efforts being made by the leadership of NURTW, and RTEAN especially the motorcycle wings of the transportation unions to sanitize the bike operators’ membership with a view to sifting the wheat from the chaff.
The Oniba and Onisabe’s position differs widely from that of the lead presenter Prof Bamidele Badejo and the four discussants, among who are the CDC State Chairman Alhaji Azeesat Amusa, human rights activist Nelson Ekujumi, member Editorial Board, The Nation Newspaper Mr Sanya Oni, and Olalekan Sulaimon Oba, all of who urged the state governor to extend the ban statewide.
In his paper: Ban on Commercial motorcycle, what next? Badejo posited that okada a dysfunctional mode of transit should not be permitted on any inch of the state’s roads, because it is not economical, not safe, and largely inefficient.
The discussion session which was anchored by the Television Continental’s Babajide Otitoloju opined that Lagosians rather than rely on okada should learn to imbibe trekking as a mode of transportation, adding that trekking would help address many cardiovascular/health related issues plaguing residents.
They argued that it was bad that security agents who are to enforce the laws are themselves owners and riders of the bikes even as the government who makes the directive banning them are still distributing them as empowerment items to their constituencies.
They canvassed every Lagosian to become an anti-okada ambassador in order to drum support for the government in its effort to sanitise the transportation sector.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Gbenga Omotoso had urged all participants to come up with bold and audacious contributions to enrich the state government.
He said after about three months enforcement of the total ban in 15 local government, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would want to know how the people feel about the order and what they would want to see going forward.
His Transportation counterpart, Dr Frederic Oladeinde said crime and accident rate had gone down between 86 percent and 63.7 percent respectively, while about 7000 okada have been crushed within the same period.
Oladeinde opined that with the growing threats of insecurity and criminality, government is thinking of extending the ban to all parts of the state.