JUST IN: No decision yet on Okada ban — FG

The Federal Government on Thursday said it has not taken any decision to ban the operation of motorcycle riders known as Okada as a form of commercial transportation in the country.

The Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, stated this while speaking in Abuja at the Annual Strategic Stakeholders Summit of the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle & Motorcycle Owners, Repairs & Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN).

The remark followed earlier report of plans to ban the mode of commercial transportation and mining activities to curb arm supply to terrorists.

Recall that the Attorney General the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had given the indication in July after the National Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The AGF had said, “Placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities will cut the supply of logistics to the terrorists. This will be done in the national interest.”

But speaking in Abuja, Adegoroye, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has not taken any decision on the ban.

He said: “By the grace of God, I’ve been a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the highest decision-making body in this country today, and I’ve been there now since July. I was appointed in June, I became a member and I attended my first FEC on the 6th of July this year.

“Let me assure you and assure ACOMORAN that there is no decision to ban Okada.”

While congratulating the President of ACOMORAN, Prince Samsudeen Apelogun,

on the successful organization of the event, the Minister added: “There are a few issues I will like to make comments on.

“The Federal government under the leadership of our father and our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, is also desirous of putting in place a mass transit system that will not fail like those of the past.

“It is true that several governments in the past have done one or two things to promote mass transit and ensure that our people are able to move from one place to the other seamlessly and easily.

“But nobody is a repository of knowledge, nobody has a monopoly of wisdom. ACOMORAN also have a right and a duty to this country. So, we will put heads together.”

The Special guest of honour and former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi said he declined efforts as a minister to place a ban on motorcycle riders even though he said that the land transportation system in the country is chaotic.

He described operators in the sector as an important part of the economic growth of any country, adding that when he was asked to ban Okada in the country, he had asked what the operatives would be doing.

He also said that some of the operators including the graduates among them were forced to the job as a result of the economic situation.

The former minister who told the Okada operators to behave well and regulate themselves said he acknowledged the fact that not all of the operators are criminals, though he said that some of them are criminals

In his opening remarks, the National President of ACOMORAN, Prince Samsudeen Apelogun, said the summit was organized to have issues relating to the use of motorcycles and tricycles as means of public transportation in Nigeria, extensively discussed.

He said, “As an organization consisting of over 12 million members, ACOMORAN operations in Nigeria has become a major source of livelihood. Just as Lt. Frank Clark noted, “if you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere”.

“Therefore, it has become very clear to ACOMORAN that the operations of her members have become challenging in some regions of our beloved Nation, Nigeria. If this proposed policy is not properly addressed, it might lead to an emergency in the context posited by Arnold. As law-abiding citizens and an organization that believes in the rule of law, we have continued to manage our member’s conduct and reactions to these very developments to ensure that they don’t break the law while at the same time seeking platforms where the contending issues can be slated for extensive discussion. One such platform is this summit.

“It is an open discussion that our operations in a few states in Nigeria are being restricted, and riders’ motorcycles are confiscated and destroyed which affects many innocent riders who took loans to buy their bikes. These include young graduates who have tried unsuccessfully to find gainful employment.

“The governments hinged their decisions fundamentally on two factors: Accidents and Insecurity. As an association, we have responded accordingly, presenting to the government the effects of that proposed policy. We shall have the train-the-trainers workshop where we educate our members as this is in fulfilment of one of my electoral promises as contained in my Action Plan.

“Thereby today’s theme is “Mutually Beneficial Integration of Motorcycles and Tricycles into public transportation system in Nigeria: The Harmless Approach”.

“I acknowledge most sincerely the sanctity of life, therefore, before I proceed, my heart goes out to the families of all those that lost their lives, at one time or another in a motorcycle-related crash.

“Furthermore, I admit that the safety and security of the citizens are a fundamental responsibility of the government. However, adequate attention must be paid to details so that more problems are not created to solve this issue, I hereby suggest the following points as major steps in this integration and regulation:

“Encouragement of transportation security control databases such as NISPSAS with the ministry of interior and ACORIDE system.

“A formalization that will enable the government to have more internal revenue generation and replace the current extortion by non-state actors which can be dedicated to road maintenance.

“We have and will continue to appeal to the government at all levels to consider the interest of the generality of Nigerians, especially those at the lowest part of the economic ladder when formulating and implementing these policies.

“One of the major factors that brought motorcycles and tricycles into our transportation system as you well know is unemployment whereas this sector of transportation is by far a large means of mass employment to teeming youths, we, therefore appeal to the government to adopt the concept of providing alternatives before enforcement of policies that might incur more hardship to the people.

“As a group, ACOMORAN believes very strongly that the concept of throwing the baby away with bath water stands illogical on the head. This explains the reason we have continuously suggested and indeed appeal that regulation of this mass form of employment, instead of banning should be the way forward.

“The government should support in enforcing of security apparatus and providing safety measures.

“Conclusively, as critical stakeholders, policymakers, and opinion moulders, you are in the best position to advise the government accordingly and ensure the implementation of our resolutions here for the good of all Nigerians especially the less economically advantaged who rely largely on motorcycles and tricycles for easy movement and I hope that at the end of this summit, we will come up with a harmless approach to the effective integration of motorcycles and tricycles into our transportation system in Nigeria.”