Okada riders on duty in Lagos
Commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada riders,
under the aegis of Nigerians Auto Bike Commercial Owners and Workers
Association, have said about 40,000 of its members will be forced out of
business by the new Lagos State Traffic Law.
The leader of the association, Mr. Aliyu Wamba, told SUNDAY PUNCH
that socio-economic and security problems loomed, with the law banning
them from federal highways, which represented about 95 per cent of roads
in the state.
He said, “NACOWA has about 40,000
members in Lagos alone. These members have wives and children. If the
government goes ahead with the law, it means those to be affected will
run into hundreds of thousands.
“There are about six major riders’
associations and NACOWA is the second largest. If the members of the
associations are put together, you can now imagine the number of people
the law will make jobless. As the economy is, Okada remains the largest employer of labour.”
Wamba explained that Okada
riders were ready to comply with other provisions of the law, except
those that barred them from operating on the highways. He added that it
was the reason why the association had prayed a court to void the
section of the law that prohibited their operations on major highways.
The NACOWA boss said, “Most of the
provisions of the law are in our favour and we are ready to comply 100
per cent. However, three of the provisions infringe on our human rights.
Our prohibition from the federal highways is not acceptable.
“We have been banned from operating on
about 95 per cent of roads in Lagos and if the law is implemented,
automatically, we are out of business. I think the government has to
consider the economic and security implications of the policy.”
Commercial motorcycle operators in the
state recently appealed to the government to defer the enforcement of
the law to enable them to relocate their operations and families from
the state.
The Chairman, Motorcycle Transport Union
of Nigeria, Mr. Paul Ugo, at a recent sensitisation forum organised by
the Ministry of Transportation said, “We are aware of the law. We have
been trying to educate our members.
“But many of them have said they could
not operate in the state under the law. We are appealing to the state
government to give them time to make some money to be able to relocate
their families from Lagos State.”
The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr.
Kayode Opeifa, however said the government was not interested in
frustrating people out of the state.
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