News

Mixed Reactions Trail Okada Business In Lagos

Published

4 years ago

May 4, 2022

Millions of residents of Lagos State ride on either private or commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, to their places of work on daily basis thus making it another common means of transportation.
It has indeed become an integral part of many because of its uniqueness in a city-state characterised by traffic snarl or ‘go slow’ fondly caused by visible and invisible reasons such as impatience on the part of drivers, bad roads, and autocrash on the major roads.
The Tide source sought reactions of the residents of Lagos State to the ‘menaces and merits of Okada business in Lagos’ and their comments and remarks were an admixture of sweet and sorrow.
Mr Boluwaji Olaiya, a resident of Ibafo in Ogun who works in the Gbagada Area of Lagos State said that he was fond of riding Okada from Ibafo to Berger, the boundary between Lagos and Ogun, so as to avoid the gridlock along that axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway during the working days of the week.
Olaiya said that in less than 30 minutes, he was always at Berger Bus Stop and that used to save him a lot of time, tear and wear as well as the stress passengers who boarded public uses usually encountered during ‘go slow’ on the express.
“ When the long bridge axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressroad was under construction, there were some of us that riding on Okada was the only means of getting to Lagos from Ibafo and its environs. The rider then was charging us N500.00 per passenger and he would transport two of us down on each trip.”
Also, Mr Dele Aboyeji, a building contractor living in Papa Asese area of Ogun and who has his office in the Surulere area of Lagos State said that on occasions when there were gridlock on the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, Okada used to be his ‘saviour.
“I would mount it from Berger to Warewa in Ogun while returning home in the evening or going to work in the morning.
“There were times then that most passengers caught up in the traffic were robbed. That was a nasty experience which nobody will want to pray for,” Aboyeji said.
To Mr Oye Luquman, Okada is a thriving business and many able young men ride it as a means of livelihood and are today their families’ breadwinners. He added that its introduction as a means of transportation had helped in reducing unemployment in Lagos State.
He added that politicians always give out motorcycles to youths during political campaigns meaning that it had come to stay as part of the society’s means of making ends meet
According to Luquman, just as the youth use it for commercial purposes so also the elderly use it to transport their produce from the rural areas to the Expressway where they would find buyers for them.
Taiwo said that any motorcycle that is not registered would be confiscated by the command, adding that the command would meet the union leaders of the okada riders before enforcing all these directives.
Also speaking to NAN, the Chairman Ikorodu Local Government(LG), Mr Wasiu Adesina, said that the menace of commercial motorcycle was becoming a nightmare to the residents of Lagos and its numerical strength becoming more frightening as well as serving as a security risk to residents.
Adesina said due to the increase in insecurity, the local government leadership had to rejig its security architecture by initiating a joint taskforce and providing patrol vehicles for surveillance to ease movements of security personnel in all the communities within the LG.
Adesina said that the council had to also establish a taskforce during his first tenure to restrict the movements of motorcycles since he realised that most crimes were being perpetrated with the use of motorcycles for easy escape.
“ The taskforce was initiated to restrict motorcycle from some parks and routes but the outbreak of COVID–19 pandemic in 2020 and the subsequent challenges after easing the lockdown affected the work of the taskforce.
“They stopped work and later continue, so our work in curbing the menace is still ongoing,” he said.
However, sometime last year , the Lagos State Government announced some specified roads where it said that commercial motorcyclists were restricted from plying and warned that erring defaulters would be dealt with, he said. He urged the relevant security agencies to enforce thd rule.
The council boss said that the directive had led to some of them finding alternative routes and took solace in deploying their business in the rural areas of the state.
“We are still doing our work, we hold security meetings regularly to discuss security matters which include the menace caused by the influx of motorcycle into our local council area.
“We also discuss the way forward out of the crisis and come up with resolutions which I have been enforcing as the chairman to ensure that my people can sleep with their two eyes closed.
According to the chairman, the LG is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring safety of lives and properties, so we will not rest until Ikorodu is safe for investors and residents.
Also Mr Sesan Oduolowu, Chairman, Sheriff Community Development Association (CDA ) in Ikorodu, said that it had come to the knowledge of the residents that motorcycle was the common instrument used by criminals to escape after attacking innocent citizens.
Oduolowu said in this regard, most CDA chairmen had agreed to ensure that Okadas were not allowed to enter any community after 8.00 p.m. adding that some even made theirs 7.00p.m.
He said that they had jointly agreed that the communities should ensure that they handled the security of their various communities by themselves by hiring private guards to secure them.
“We hold our meetings every month and have agreed to engage ourselves on intelligence gathering as well as ensure that commercial motorcyclists are banned from entering the community in the evening time as well as hire private security guards on our own for the safety of our people,” he said.
Mr Owolabi Efunsanya, a resident in the CDA said that the increasing number of motorcycles was as a result of lack of job or unemployment with bad road and incessant traffic jam.
Efunsanya urged government as a major employer of labour to create employment opportunities and enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) to thrive to augment available opportunities.
He said that the government should focus more on ensuring that more youths were engaged rather than giving priorities to other sectors , while stressing that a lazy man’s brain is the devil’s workshop.
“Unemployment is a major cause of increase in crime because ‘an empty mind is a devil’s workshop’ if there is job, crime will be reduced.”
An officer with a transport union who pleaded anonymity said that government had a big role to play in checkmating the excesses caused by commercial motorcycle operators.
He said that accidents caused by Okada riders had sent some people to their early graves while some were still suffering from the injuries caused them that had led to the amputation of with their legs or other parts of their bodies.
He urged government to ban the importation of motorcycles into the country completely, saying they had become an important instrument used by hoodlums, bandits and terrorists to commit all sorts of crimes in the country.
Also, some residents of Fagbile Estate, Ijegun, a suburb of Lagos, said that some armed robbers under the guise of Okada riders had formed the habit of frequently attacking the residents of the estate
They told NAN in Lagos that they now live in fear due to the activities of suspected robbers.
They urged the relevant security forces to do all within their powers to crackdown on the motorbike robbers.
Mr Emmanuel Edun said that two robbery attacks occurred in the estate in a single morning alone recently.
According to him, a young lady was robbed of her handbag, containing some valuables along Fagbile Road in the early hours of that unfortunate day.
Edun said that the robbers usually attacked women in lonely corners where they would dispossess them of their cell phones, ATM cards and other valuables.
Another resident, Mr Bartho Philip, said that a young man was recently robbed of his motorcycle in the early hours of the day not long ago in Rotimi Omotosho Street.
According to him, three young men allegedly had been surveying the area with their motorbike apparently in search of their target.
“After ridding about for some time, they stopped at the intersection between Omotosho Street and Amoje Street.
“One of them came down from the bike and brought out what looked like a locally-made gun, pointed it at the owner of the bike, snatched it and took away the bike.
“ While this was going on, one of them started the bike that they came with while the second followed the guy with the gun and they all ride off,” Phillip said.
NAN gathered that the rider of the bike had collected it on higher purchase arrangement from its owner for N650, 000. (NAN)

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

1 day ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

1 day ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

1 day ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”