2019: Okada, Keke riders gives condition to support presidential candidate

As the day draws closer for the presidential election selected to  hold on the 16th of February 2019,  the Association of commercial motorcycle popularly known as Okada and Keke napep under aegis of the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycles and Motorcycles Owner Riders and Repairers Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) has stated that the Association has not decided whom they will vote  in the forthcoming  elections.

The President of the Association, Alhaji Babagida Shehu Maihula told journalists at the weekend in Abuja at the  Association’s the mini convention that the promise made by politicians to empower it’s members and put in place policies that will benefit low-income earners has not been fulfilled.

According to him, “You see ACOMORAN is a non political organisation even though during a period like this, we become a beautiful bride for the politicians to be coming after us but we have not decided,  and we are not going to decide until we are sure that whoever we are going to work with will be able to address the peculiar needs of our members which reflect on empowerment, and certain things that we will demand from them to do.”

He complained that “you see,  in the rules of acquiring drivers licence,  there was no consideration for low-income earner like the Okada man, it is a flat rate for both taxi, motor and cars and we feel that it is not fair,  our small business should be considered and the price should be reduced to half of what is currently the price of drivers licence for motor drivers.

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“Again, we are saying anywhere you banned the use of a motorcycle,  you should be able to replace that number of people you have laid off of the job with an alternative, that is with tricycles, but always there is a promise.”

The President said: “There is always a promise that we can do it but you are yet to see it though we understand the political dynamics of what is in the country now given the financial status of the country, but still yet, we are saying for us to give our votes, we need an assurance from the government to empower our members.

“We are the largest union of more than 95 per cent youths, and more to this convention, we want to use this forum to talk to our members,  we are far above been used as political thugs, or been hired for activities that can hinder the development of this country in whatever form, giving the fact that our members are youths.

“We are going to talk to the leadership now to make sure that the message gets to the grassroots that no matter what happens,  none of our members should be used for political thuggery and massive votes will go solemnly to whom we decide to vote for” Maihula stated.

Also at the convention, Shehu said the event to review activities of the previous year. “Normally we do our end of year meeting to review what has happened the previous year and now set an agenda for the next year, but because of the peculiarities of the meeting, that is why is now a convention because we have some issues that were observed and raised by all the state chapters.”

“We have this massive concern from our members on some  portion of our constitution which is outdated and not in tune with the way of doing things in the 21st century, not carrying the democratic norms in it , we now  find it convenient to use the end of year meeting as well as a mini-convention to ratify,  get the approval to review the  constitution and amend certain clause for the betterment of the Association,” he noted.