Union Leader Cautions Against Okada Ban

The Chairman of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria, Enugu State branch, Mr Oliver Ezeobiakor,  has appealed to the state government to reconsider its plan to ban the use of motorcycles for transportation.

Ezeobiakor said in Enugu last Thursday that rather than ban the motorcycles, the government should strengthen the efforts of the association to monitor its members.

He said that the association had set up two teams – the quick intervention and special squads – to flush out law breakers among them.

The chairman, who was reacting to the proposed ban on the use of commercial motorcycle for transportation in Enugu metropolis, said the union arrested 10 suspected fake motorcyclists and handed them over to the police in May.

He said the suspects were arrested in Abakpa, Trans-Ekulu, Independence Layout, Uwani and Kenyatta.

Ezeobiakor said it was wrong to link members of the association with recent crimes in the state.

“Everybody in Enugu knows that what happened was done by cult groups but they used the bad ones amongst us to carry out their evil acts.

“Banning okada (motorcycles) will not solve the problem, instead it will worsen the situation because more people will be thrown into the labour market, thereby increasing social miscreants. “If government should carry out its threat, about 7,000 okada riders, their dependants, motorcycle mechanics, spare-parts sellers as well as food vendors doing business around okada bus-stops will be affected,’’ he said.

Ezeobiakor said if the government supported the task forces through the involvement of security agents, the involvement of motorcycle riders in crime would reduce.

Following the recent killings and robberies in Enugu involving commercial motorcyclists, the public have called for the banning of the operations of commercial motorcyclists.

The Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo, said the parliament might consider a review of the law on the operations of the motorcyclists.