Nation
Traders Make Case Against Total Motorcycle Ban
Traders under the aegis of the South East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA) have urged the Federal Government to jettison total ban on motorcycles considering its serious negative socio-economic consequences.
They appealed to the Federal Government, through the National Security Council, to drop the proposed blanket ban (total ban) on motorcycles nationwide but use intelligence to spot light and identify areas where the ban had become imperative.
This is contained in a statement issued by SEAMATA President-General, Chief Gozie Akudolu, and outside its Secretary-General, Mr Alex Okwudili, in Enugu.
The statement stated that the attention of the association had been drawn to the proposal by the National Security Council to consider a total ban on motorcycles throughout the federation.
It said that according to the Council, ‘criminals and bandits were using motorcycles for their nefarious activities’.
The association expressed shock that the nation’s highest security organ could make this statement, adding that SEAMATA considers the statement rudderless and amounts to, ‘throwing the baby away with the bath water’.
“We wish to draw the National Security Council’s attention to the implications and dire consequences which this most unpopular proposal portends for the nation.
“The Council did not consider that there are hundreds of motorcycle manufacturing industries across the federation with hundreds of thousands of youths in their direct employment and other thousands in ancillary and indirect employment.
“This ban proposal means not only the folding up of these industries, with its adverse implications on the economy of the federation, but also sending hundreds of thousands of youths in their employments into the highly over-saturated Nigerian labour market.
“This will surely create a viable recruitment ground for bandits and criminals and in turn, escalate the security challenges of the nation.
“There are other industries that produce motorcycle components, especially the rubber and plastic parts, shall as well fold up and sack all their employees, who shall in turn, add to the serious challenges of insecurity to the nation.
“The distribution chain of this industry, ranging from the dealers in motorcycles, others in motorcycle spare parts, more in artisans like mechanics and vulcanizers and many more as apprentices, all in their millions are those whose businesses are put on the line. They will likely be potential criminals and bandits being uploaded”, they said.
Noting that motorcycles used for positive purposes far outnumbers that used in perpetrating banditry and criminality, they stated that it would sound illogical to ban motorcycle nationwide in order to get fight against insecurity, terrorism, banditry and criminality right.
By: Canice Amadi, Enugu
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
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