Some of the residents of the areas affected by the ban placed on commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada in Lagos State have expressed their anger and dissatisfaction over the hardship the development has caused them.
It will be recalled that Nigerian Tribune reported that the Lagos State government said there will be no going back on the enforcement of the ban on Okada starting from today, Thursday, September 1, 2022.
While speaking with the Nigerian Tribune this morning, some residents of Isheri-Berger axis of Kosofe Local Government area (LGA), lamented over the hardship the ban has cost them.
Sharing his dissatisfaction over the development, an elderly man, Fasasi Kareem, lamented over the ban placed on Okada and urged the Lagos State government to provide adequate alternatives.
“The kind of walk I took today, it has been a while since I walked like that. It was just too much for me considering my age. Although, we know that some of these okada riders cause a lot of accidents due to their ways of driving, taking them off the road without providing necessary alternatives is a wrong move”
He continued, “Keke Marwa (Tricycle) , which should be an alternative, is too scarce and hard to come by. While I was leaving my house in Isheri for the Berger bus stop this morning, I had to trek after waiting for about 30 minutes without seeing any Keke Marwa.
On her own part, a young lady, Felicia Balogun, chastised the government over the ban. According to her, banning Okada riders is a wrong decision. She said not only will such a move affect the residents that patronize these okada riders, but it also poses challenges to the security of the state, as these okada riders who have been rendered jobless may turn into a menace in the state.
“I totally condemn this ban for many reasons. Firstly, it has started to affect me, just as it will affect other Lagosians that depend more on this mode of transportation. You know the hustle and bustle of Lagos coupled with everyday traffic makes Okada indispensable to most people.”
“Secondly, where do the government expect these Okada riders to get the jobs that they will be using to survive and feed their families now that they’ve banned their means of livelihood. If care is not taken, the rate of crime will skyrocket in the state as a result of this uncalculated move.”
Another resident of Kosofe LCDA, Taiwo Adio, lamented over the development and advised the Lagos state government on what they should have done rather than banning okada
“As you can see, I’m sweating. It is because I trekked from my house in Isheri down to this place at Berger bus stop. I’m already tired and it will somehow affect my productivity at work. When I come back from work in the evening, I will have to trek from Berger to my place again because of this ban.”
He asked rhetorically that “If someone is having a headache, will cutting the head be the next thing to do? No. Rather than banning these okada because of the way they speed on the road and cause accidents, what the government should have done is to sensitize them on the need to be careful while driving. he opined.
The observation from Nigerian Tribune shows that there has been a very high level of compliance with the directives so far, as the movement of okada at Kosofe, one of the affected LGAs has been totally altered and none of the commercial motorcycles could be seen on the roads.
It will be recalled that the Lagos state government had earlier in May this year banned the operation of okada in six Local Governments (LGs) and nine Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), effective from June 1, 2022, following a heightened crime rate and accidents, relating to this mode of transportation in the state.
The ban was on Thursday, August 18, extended to four more Local Government Areas (LGAs) and six Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state, effective from September 1, 2022.
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