Okada ban: provide alternative job, residents urge Lagos state govt.

By Ifeoma Ikem

Residents of Alimiosho area of Lagos state have advised the state government and house of Assembly to provide alternative job before banning the commercial motorcycle operations also known as “okada’’ to avoid creating more hardship for those who depend on it as means of livelihood.

The residents and motorcyclists spoke with our correspondent yesterday during a protest staged by Human right activist Comrade Iche Savior at Jakande gate, Ijegun /Isheri area in Alimiosho local government council.

They expressed fear that the Okada ban will create more difficult times for the communities.

Some of the commercial motorcyclists in the area also added that the government should have involved them in the policy making that led to the ban.

According to the residents, immediately the ban of okada was enforced, people started trekking for long distances to get to their destinations due to non accessibility of good roads in the community.

Mr Williams Okeize, a resident, said the development would worsen the current situation as some people who ride the bikes would now have to trek down to their various destinations.

According to him, majority of these residents are under abject poverty and do not have vehicles of their own, the ban will further make them miserable and worse.

“Many of these okada riders feed themselves and their families with the little they earn from riding these okadas, some of these okada riders are graduates with no jobs, there is a need for the government to provide alternatives before such ban.

Ominyi Odinaka, a Civil Engineer and Unizik graduate decried the already high rate of unemployed youths in the country, saying that the ban would cause more hardship to majority of us that graduated and with no job.

According to him, ‘I graduated two years ago, I had savings of three hundred thousand to set up a business so as to earn a living but could not because of the economic situation before I had to switch to Okada riding for sometime to make up the money I need for the business.

“this ban of Okada affected some of us negatively which added more unemployed youths to the labour market.

A mother of four, Mrs Faitha Idris laments that her husband rides Okada within the axis of Kudeyibu Estate Ijegun and they manage to have two square meals on daily basis but since the enforcement began, the police has been taking advantage of it by arresting the riders and extorting them.

‘I’m pleading with Gov. Sanwo -Olu to help in lifting the ban, many other families whose husbands and fathers operate Okada are dying of hunger.

” Where are we going to start from, school is resuming on Monday, meaning our children can’t go back to school because there is no other job for my husband, I am a petty trader but there’s no sale like before people are not buying again “, she added

Reacting to the ban, Comr Iche Savior advised the state government that instead of banning them especially in the rural area places like Alimiosho area “it is better to register them and integrate them into the ever expanding transportation .

Iche said the government and house of Assembly should have a rethink about the ban in some areas because it would increase the rate of suffering and unemployment in the state.

“We are already having challenges in the country already; the government should provide alternatives to those Okada riders before banning their activities.

” Even though the Okada operators are not happy with the job but that is the only work they do since government have no job for them.

” Okada riders covers a larger population in the state, they provide the needed services to the residents in some area that are not motorable”, he said.

Miss Peculiar Chimeremma, a youth said that the ban would increase more crimes and lead to a lot of youths eventually join criminal groups.

“Some of the operators were honest business men seeking daily income to sustain their families and were not depending on government or anyone else.

She said stopping these people from their means of livelihood would not only affect their businesses but also force the users of these commercial means of transportation to trek to their destinations where other commercial vehicles cannot access