Complaints galore as Lagos govt extends Okada ban enforcement to 10 LGAs

The Lagos State government, on Thursday, began the enforcement of the extended ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles aka Okada amid complaints by some residents.

Indeed some residents, especially those who live in the areas included in the ban, expressed their pains over the situation, which they argued has impeded their movement.

The affected local governments are Kosofe, Osodi-Isolo, Somolu and Mushin, while the LCDA s are Agboyi Ketu Ikoai/Isheri, Isolo, Bariga and Odi Olowo.

Security personnel were almost idle in most parts of the designated councils as there were no commercial motorcyclists in sight.

The security agencies, including the police, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Wednesday embarked on a show of force in preparation for Thursday enforcement.

But at the Ajao Estate and Osolo Way in Isolo LCDA, commuters complained bitterly about the fallout of the enforcement.

A resident of the area, who declined to give his name, said: “The Hausa Okada riders and others have relocated since Sunday. We stopped seeing them on Monday. You can see that there is no single Okada around the whole of Ajao Estate.”

He, however, said: “The government is making life more difficult for people. Look at it now; there are no shuttle buses, no tricycles and no motorcycles. How do you expect people to get to inner roads?”

“Not everybody has a vehicle, yet we have to get to our different places. The government should provide alternative means of transportation to motorcycles,” he said.