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No Going Back on Okada Ban’, Lagos state government insists
Lagosians have been protesting calling the state government out
over the Ban of Okada in the state by burning cars, in responding to the
protest, the Government insists there is No Going Back on Okada Ban. Which Means The Okada ban is Permanent.
The
Lagos state government has emphasized its position that an ongoing
boycott that took business cruisers (Okada) and tricycles (Keke) off
blocked streets in the downtown area won’t be turned around.
The
Okada was a most loved among hustling Lagosians for its capacity to
weave through the city’s infamous gridlock and get workers to goals in
record time.
Its boycott – or limitation, as Lagos
state government authorities want to call it- – has started vicious
fights, firearm duels, and engagements in various pieces of Nigeria’s
most crowded city since February 1.
At any rate, five people have reportedly been killed since the boycott produced results.
Giving other Alternative To The Okada Ban
The
tasks of the business motorcyclists have been limited in six nearby
local government areas, and state government authorities state they
can’t understand what the mayhem over the boycott has been about.
“The
local government areas and council development areas affected by the
ban are in Lagos central senatorial district, Lagos Mainland, Surulere,
Apapa, and Eti-Osa which encompasses VGC and all the other areas on the
Island. These are so-called elitist areas,” says Deji Balogun, Director of Social Media in the office of the State Governor.
real population of Lagos is in Lagos West. And the only local
government affected by the restriction in Lagos West is Ikeja. Lagos
West represents comfortably 60 percent of Lagos state in terms of
landmass and population. If you look at Alimosho, Agege, Oshodi, Isolo,
Ajeromi Ifelodun, Ifako Ijaiye, that’s where the population is and they
aren’t affected.
East, which is a cultural area encompassing Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki
etc, is not affected. One is beginning to wonder how 12 percent..the
population of Lagos at the moment is 27 million..how 12 percent of the
city is complaining the most. The people affected by this restriction
are less than 4 million.
individual associations are banning the Okada and the state government
is enforcing the restriction in just six local government areas, what is
the hullabaloo about?”
the next couple of days, I’m confident that apart from inter-modal
transport, services would have increased. The blue line and red line
would soon be completed. The blue line runs from Okokomaiko to Marina.
Small buses that will be able to navigate the nooks and crannies will
soon come in. We just launched the Lagos state ferry services and rolled
out brand new mass transit buses.
responsible government will sit back and allow the large scale of
insecurity and accidents perpetrated by the Okada to continue.
you know that because of the economic drawback occasioned by their
nefarious activities, you are not yet enjoying the best of mass transit?
There is a bus intelligence system that is supposed to come with it.
You are supposed to stand at the bus stop and be able to tell when the
next Iyana Ipaja bus is coming. Why do you think they built the Oshodi
interchange?”, he adds.
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| Max and Gokada protesters in Lagos (The Cable) |
Okada riders as Boko Haram poster boys
“There is no going back on the Okada restriction…there is no going
back on plans for a ‘Smart Lagos’. We have more buses that will soon be
cleared from the ports as alternatives.”
“The law is that you cannot use any commercial bike, no matter the cubic centimeter capacity. This is a ban on commercial bikes of whatever hue,” he says.
during separate chats that in December 2019, security and law enforcement personnel nabbed members of the Boko Haram terrorist group in Lagos, who had disguised themselves as Okada riders.
caught top commanders of the Boko Haram sect in Lagos who came in here,
posing as Okada riders. And that’s the problem. Okada riders are difficult to identify and profile. We also had security reports detailing an influx of persons who posed a security threat to Lagos.
This was the last straw for Governor Sanwo-Olu, especially because security operatives kept advising him to effect the Okada ban or watch Lagos get attacked by terrorists.
numerous stakeholder engagement sessions and intelligence reports, the Okada restriction notice was issued. We couldn’t give a three-month or six-month notice because we didn’t have the luxury of time. These guys were invading Lagos as Okada riders, camping in sleeper cells and ready to blow up the city someday. It was coming,” one top Lagos state official says.
who have been arresting riders of power bikes and seizing commercial bikes in local governments where they haven’t been restricted.
“We’ve been speaking with the Commissioner of Police about this unfortunate development,” they say.