Blame game as okada returns to Lagos highways

When some years ago, the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos affirmed the judgment of a Lagos State High Court upholding the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law 2012, the people of the state thought an end had come to the menace of motorcycle operators, popularly known as okada, plying the major highways in the state, with its attendants problems.

And of course, the ban brought about a temporary relief to the people of the state as many operators steered clear of the prohibited routes and restricted their activities to the non-prohibited ones. This might be because of the heavy penalty – fine of N20, 000 for first offender and N30, 000 for subsequent offences, impoundment of okada, court trials and so forth.

But seven years down the line and still counting, the situation has not only returned to the old order but now, worse. It appears the okada riders have put into the dustbin, the much dreaded traffic laws, enacted under the administration of the-then state governor and now Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to tame their excesses. Even the officers and men of the police force and their counterparts in the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) seem not bothered again.

Chaos

As observed by Saturday Tribune, the okada riders have not only taken over the highways and other prohibited routes, they have added utter disregard for other laid-down rules and regulations guiding their operations.

They neither wear crash helmet nor uniforms, let alone having a code. They now carry more than one passenger. They carry children and pregnant women with babies on their back.  They operate at odd hours. Some are even under-aged. They ride on one-way, recklessly so, and are simply everywhere.

Statewide findings showed that there is possibly no highway in the state as of today where okada riders are not having a field day. They ply Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos–Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege Motor Road, Eti-Osa/Lekki Coastal Road, as well as Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

They have even converted some bus stops along these corridors to hot spots for picking and discharging of passengers and also to convey them to any other part of the state. For example, Ikeja Along bus stop, Airport, Iyana-Ipaja, Oshodi, Agege, Ojota, Mile 2, Obalende, Iyana Iba, Alaba, Liver Pool Under bridge in Apapa, 2nd Gate (Tin Can), Sango Toll Gate,  Toyota\Iyana Isolo, are infamous in this regard, to mention but a few.

Even in Victoria Island and Ikoyi axis, where the ban was once very effective, the old order is fast returning.

One needs just a visit to any of these strategic spots, to see the way ubiquitous okada riders conduct themselves. Once they hit the roads, they are simply unstoppable, riding with pleasure and showing the least of regard, to known traffic and safety regulations.

In your face

Similarly, a recent visit by Saturday Tribune to area around Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, would show that okada operators have also taken over the place and plying their business to anywhere in Lagos, and even down to the seat of government in Alausa.

At the popular Nurudeen Olowopopo Street, particularly at the foot of the recently-completed pedestrian bridge at Alausa, Ikeja, very close to the State House, one could see them calling for passengers to anywhere in the state, without the fear of arrest by the security operatives.

Suprisingly, along that route and those already mentioned, one could notice regular presence of police officers and LASTMA officials, supposedly doing their job, but not lifting a finger on this obvious violation of traffic laws.

According to one of the riders, plying highways though they are more exposed to dangers especially accident that could take their lives, and/or that of their passengers or any other road user, the fact that they make cool money, which they would not be able to make if they obeyed the restrictive codes, is enough conviction to stay on.

Arising from interactions with some of them, the fear of police arrest or being involved in accidents is no longer a consideration.  And the testimony of one of them is a perfect demonstration of this position. Johnson, as he simply identified himself is plying among other routes Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, down to Shoprite and the Secretariat in Alausa. He told Saturday Tribune how easy it had been for him plying the route without fear of being arrested, most especially around the secretariat, which is closer to the State House. He said the security personnel were in the know as they had a way of reaching out to them through regular payment of an agreed sum of money.

The young man also revealed that such had been the practice in major bus-stops across the state as the security officers stationed around there would only go after the okada riders they are not familiar with or the familiar ones who are not ready to ‘rub their palms.’

The fact, for them, is that the business has become so thriving that an okada rider now operates and earns as much as his tricycle counterpart.

New goldmine

Truly, they make a lot of money from the business than their colleagues who are law abiding and plying community roads. This is simply because, on the highways, they charge as high as four times or more of fares being charged by bus drivers for the same destinations.

For example, one-way trip from Ikeja Along to Sango Toll Gate, which costs a bus passenger a maximum of N300 during rush hours in the mornings when workers are going to work or in the evening when returning home, will cost an okada passenger as much as N1,300.

If the passengers are two, according to investigations, each of them would pay N700 or N800 for the same trip, depending on their bargaining strength and the urgency of the service.

Obalende on the island to Eko Hotel for which tricyclists charge N100 flat rate, will cost okada passenger between N700 and N1, 000 depending also on bargaining ability.

Similarly, Oshodi to Ayobo-Ipaja costs up to N800 per passenger and N1, 500 if it is a single-passenger ride, whereas bus drivers charge between N300 and N400 per passenger for the same trip.

Other examples abound across the state. Kabiru (surname unknown), who appeared to be in his early 20s and plied Lagos-Abeoukuta expressway told Saturday Tribune during a conversation that he made between N4,000 and N6,000 daily and used about 35 per cent of his earnings to settle ‘agberos’, the police and LASTMA officials. Suprisingly, Kabiru spoke and understood English. He noted that it takes a great courage and determination to ride okada on the highways, moreso that most passengers are always in hurry to get to their destinations.

“So, we know it’s a risk to ride okada on highways, but we make more money than those who are on the streets in the communities,” he revealed, “And whenever it rains or there is unsual heavy traffic on the roads, we make more profit.”

• How police ‘encouraged’ us back to Apapa bridges, roads —Okada riders

Suicide mission

Amazingly, Kabiru, who declared that he does not belong to any particular road workers’ association just like many of his colleagues, said he had never been involved in any major accident since he ventured into the business, about one and a half years back.

But sadly, many okada passengers understand that it’s not only that riding motorcycles on the highways is an offence, they know the dangers in so doing. They also know that many have lost their lives and loved ones to okada accidents. Examples abound in the okada rider and his passenger who were crushed by a LAGBUS on the Anthony-Oshodi Expressway last July and another two who died in an okada accident at Berger Suya Bus Stop near Kirikiri Bridge along Mile 2-Apapa Expressway.

Many who patronise the law-breakers equally know that, though, some with their passengers, may survive, they may be left with permanent disability. Many actually confessed to Saturday Tribune that they were aware that motorcycles are used for criminal activities including robbery, but they find it difficult to do away with okada, in their daily activities.

Mr Kelechi Ndukwe, a spare parts seller, for example, is one of them. He told Saturday Tribune that he could not do without commuting on okada almost on daily basis except on Sundays, his off-day.

He explained why. “I live in Sango, Ogun State, and work in Mushin. There is always traffic gridlock in the morning at many locations along the expressway. At Kollington, Ile-Epo\Oke Odo Market, Iyana- Ipaja and then a very long one from Iyana-Dopemu down to Ikeja Along and sometimes to PWD and another one from Ladipo down to Oshodi. So, I can’t imagine to be in the traffic for three to four hours if I go by public bus for a journey that would have taken me only about an hour on okada. It will be time wasting, boring and also stressful for me.”

Excuses

Saturday Tribune observed that the perennial gridlock which has become daily experience for Lagosians and which many passengers also blame for riding on okada on the highways is not only because of the numerous pot holes on the expressways, but because of the ongoing construction works in some of the corridors.

Unfortunately, no excuse is acceptable to government no matter how genuine it may look for any commercial okada riders to ply the highways and all other prohibited routes in the state, or, for anyone to patronize them.

That is the position of the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, when Saturday Tribune contacted him.

According to him, the law banning okada on highways and other routes based on the dangers and other associated problems is very clear and still intact.

“But the issue is about the people,” he opened up. “They are the ones the law is to protect and also the ones encouraging the violation of the same law.”

Bamigbetan explained his position thus, “Okada riders are just like every other trader. They are only rendering service through which they earn incomes. And if they don’t have people patronising them, they will not go on highways.

“That is why government advocacy has always been directed to the passengers. The belief and simple logic about the whole issue is that if the okada riders are not being patronised, they will not ride on prohibited routes, because they violate the law based on the money they make.  That is why we are appealing to Lagosians to use buses or any other lawful means of transportation and not okada on the prohibited routes. It is not only safer, it is convenient and decent.

“There are over 6,000 roads all together in Lagos and just only 457 of them are no- go areas for okada riders and so, why is it so difficult for them to go by the law?”

He argued that it was absurd for people justifying their commuting on okada on the highways on the premise that they want to get to their destinations on time, asking how such claim should be used as an excuse to break the law.

“That is totally unacceptable,” the commissioner emphasised.

According to him, there are other means of transportation for commuters to get to their destinations on time if determined to so do.

“So, people should look at safety and sanity and stop patronising okada riders who are plying prohibited routes,” he further advised.

Bamigbetan, however, said it was the people who make the enforcement difficult for law enforcers because as they are dealing with okada riders, according to him, people are still patronising them by paying the okada riders money that will encourage them to continue violating the law.

“That is why ordinarily, the police should arrest both okada riders and their passengers as the two are law violators,” he said. “That will help greatly in addressing the issue.”

Interestingly, the reaction of the police authority in the state to this development further confirmed the state government’s defence that it is not as if the security agents are sleeping and not doing anything but that they are overwhelmed by the volume of work involved.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Mr. Chike Oti, told Saturday Tribune that the command was aware of the excesses of okada riders especially in the recent times and as a result of that, often engages their leadership on advocacy, to abide by all rules guiding their operations.

“We even met last June with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, in attendance, and they all agreed to abide by the laws including not plying the prohibited routes, especially the highways and bridges and that the law is made for the good of all Lagosians including themselves” he explained, wondering why compliance should be a difficult thing.

While noting that, though, the command has a dedicated unit-Lagos State Task Force- to enforce compliance of all traffic rules, among other functions, he claimed the command as a whole, was doing its best.

The problem, according to him, is that soon as the police mop up a set of recalcitrant okada riders, another set would surface.

The police spokesperson blamed the situation on the daily migration of people from other parts of the country to Lagos with the belief that they would engage in okada business.

When asked about the roles of the various divisonal police headquarters in tackling the menace, he said they were actually playing vital roles in this regard, but for other responsibilities before them.

According to him, the police could not channel all its manpower in chasing okada riders who flout traffic rules, otherwise, other areas of policing would suffer.

The chairman of the Task Force, Mr. Olayinka Egbeyemi, a superintendent of police, corroborated this, promising that his unit after finishing with its ongoing advocacy activities, would go all out and in full force to enforce the law.

Even at that, Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police, believes that something good could still be done to salvage the situation. For him, just like Bamigbetan’s call,  okada riders in Lagos should abide by the state laws guiding their operations, through that, he noted, there would be sanity on the roads.

Bribery and corruption

But when Oti was asked to react to the claim by some okada riders that they do give bribe on regular basis to some members of the command so as to look the other way when plying their illegal trade, he debunked the allegation.

He said if the okada riders had a proof, they could make a formal complaint through any of the well-publicised channels provided by the police authority, promising that their identies would be protected.

“But I’m sure their claim is not true,” he insisted. “The truth of the matter is that the okada riders want police not to be on the road for them to do whatever they like in the name of doing business.  They want to make Lagos a lawless state. But that cannot be. So, the more they conform to the rules, the better it is for them and for all,” he said.

Even at that, he pointed out, the police, on daily basis still make some arrests of those flouting the traffic laws and prosecute them in courts.

“But the fact is that we prefer preventing people from commitiing crimes to chasing them as criminals and this requires all hands to be on deck,” he said.

Interestingly, just like Bamigbetan, the police spokesman also urged people not to patronise okada riders who are contravening the traffic rules and also to always leave for their destinations early enough to meet their schedules, rather than riding on okada on prohibited routes.

“Govt playing election politics”

Residents spoken to by Saturday Tribune could not believe government and police shifting blames to them.

They accused government in particular, as transportation regulator in the state and maker of the laws, of deliberately relaxing the enforcement of the traffic and other laws in recent time purposely because of the forthcoming general elections.

They argued that politicians often count on the support of various segments of the society including traders’ associations, especially in the transport sector, to win elections and that it was understandable why they could not afford to be harsh on okada riders and their passengers at this time, because of the negative effects such move could have on their electoral fortunes.

They further alleged that the election consideration was why the state currently appears lawless.

Mukaila, a union leader, claimed that whenever election was approaching, every government in power, not only in Lagos but across the country, would like to softpedal on enforcement of laws and resume strict compliance as soon as the elections are over.

Just like other residents who spoke to Saturday Tribune on the development and using Lagos as an example, he said “In Lagos, it is not only the okada riders that are enjoying ‘holiday’ now, the traders who spread their wares on the roads, residents who cross the expressways where there are foot bridges, the danfo drivers who park right in the middle of the roads to pick passengers and all that, are all enjoying and doing whatever they like at the moment in the state. It appears that no police officer, neither LASTMA nor KAI official is interested in arresting anybody on behalf of government unlike some months back when the election was still far.”