Residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have bemoaned the state government’s decision to enforce the law banning the commercial use of motorcycle (popularly called ‘okada’) along state and federal roads across the state.
The law, recently passed by the state House of Assembly, took effect last Monday. It prescribes two months jail term or N10,000 fine for first offenders - and four months jail term for second offenders.
The state government, which sent the bill to the House, said it wanted to use it to curb evils associated with the use of commercial motorcycles in the state.
There had been cases of robbery and other crimes reportedly perpetrated by men riding ‘okada’ in the state. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had also warned that most of the road accidents recorded in the country was caused by motorcyclists’ recklessness on the road.
As at yesterday, scores of motorcyclists were arrested and convicted by a special mobile court detailed by the state government for the enforcement of the law.
Though the state promised to try and find alternative jobs for the motorcyclists before enforcing the law, residents believed it had not done enough.
The ‘okada’ labour was a means of livelihood to quite a munber of men. Many artisans forced out of job by epileptic power supply in the country found solace in ‘okada’.
Saheed Folaranmi, secretary of the Okada Riders’ Union, the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) in Oyo State, said the ban does not go down well with his association.
Mr. Folaranmi said the government should have consulted his group on ways to resolve the issues associated with the business.
“Which one do we know as the state and federal government roads in the town? The state government has only used its power against us. They should know we have dependants too and we have helped in reducing the effect of unemployment foisted on us in the country. Soon, we will make our views known on the issue in a non-violent way,” he declared.
Mr. Folaranmi, who insisted that the ban will not solve the crimes the government is associating with ‘okada’, said the ACOMORAN had forwarded a letter to the state House of Assembly on the need to involve the association in its treatment of the bill.
Unfulfilled expectations
What may have represented the government’s efforts in cushioning the effect of the ban was the 500 cabs it sold to some residents of Ibadan recently on installment. But, besides the widespread complaints of exploitation by the supposed beneficiaries, the number of supplied vehicles is deemed too few to serve a city like Ibadan. Some of the new cab owners said they could not ply the city’s outlying districts where demand for the motorcyclists is high.
Checks by NEXT in the ancient city on Tuesday suggested that the ban does not enjoy the kind of popularity the government expects.
Some residents of Ibadan are of the view that the government could have found better ways of addressing the problems purportedly necessitating the ban first, before the hammer.
Aina Badejo, a school teacher, said the ban on commercial motorcyclists will even impact on the school system. The easiest means of transport for a lot of people, including teachers, is ‘okada’,” he said. “Some teachers also ride these after school hours to make ends meet. The ban cannot work.”
