The Lagos State government has avowed its commitment to sustain the ban on Okada riding declared on May 18, 2022, in six local government areas and the respective nine Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), including all major bridges and highways of the State.
This was reiterated at the Stakeholders’ Forum on Okada Ban, held on Tuesday in Lagos, where the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Dr. Fredric Oladeinde, said the ban has recorded significant successes and compliance.
He said: “In the affected areas within the period under review, available records show that crime and accident rate reduced astronomically by 86% and 63.7% respectively while a total of 7,500 motorcycles were impounded and crushed accordingly.
“The Anti-Okada Squad was deployed to their respective locations and commenced operation effectively from the 1st June, 2022. The Anti-Okada squad work in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including the Police, Media, Unions and others whose contributions thus far cannot be overemphasized.” he added.
He stressed that due to the rising insecurity threats across the country the Federal Government is also considering the total ban of motorcycle operations across the Federation as most of these underground activities are been enhanced with the use of motorcycles.
In like manner, Oladeinde said: “The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to the security threat pavading socio-media platforms that some unscrupulous individuals are planning to attack the State, and the Government is already working round the clock to secure the State and its residence from these non-State actors.”
He said the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is concerned and passionate about taking back the State from the non-State actors while the cooperation of Lagosians will be highly valued and appreciated.
Oladeinde, therefore, called on all residents to join hands by cooperating with the arrangement deployed by the State government, geared towards combating the monster that the Okada operation has created, so that sanity can return to our State.
The guest lecturer, Professor Badejo, gave details of the menacing attributes of using Okada as a means of transportation in an emerging smart city like Lagos, to include: security and safety issues; health consequences; high incidence of crashes and confusion on the highways which is known as entropy among others.
Earlier in his welcome address, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, gave an overview of the meeting, which was organised to take stock of the government’s decision to ban the operations of commercial motorcycles in all of the aforementioned areas, stating that as at the time Governor Sanwo-Olu announced the decision, there were criticisms from various segments.
Those complaints according to him were based largely on sentiments of those who had not witnessed the havoc some of the Okada riders caused in the areas of health and security, when
residents were being robbed of their belongings by robbers who used motorcycles to flee scenes of crimes.
He stressed that public hospitals were being filled with victims of Okada accidents with doctors having their hands full at Emergency wards and hoodlums who rode unregistered motorbikes posed great threats.
Omotoso said: “After seeing the results of the ban in the six local government
areas, many Lagosians have been calling on the government to expand the ban; some say it should be Statewide, considering the present anxiety over security. Mr. Governor has mandated us to have this meeting to discuss what next.”
At the end of the deliberations, a communique containing the following decisions were reached; the enforcement of the ban on Okada should be sustained to ensure that the gains of the ban are not reversed.
The pockets of riders still found operating on forbidden routes, especially highways, should bear rested and made to face the consequences of their actions.
The military and the police should sustain their partnership with the State Government to ensure that their officers stop flouting the ban in the specified Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.
The Lagos State Government should enforce a total ban on Okada to further improve safety and security in Lagos.
That any Okada rider found flouting the law and attacking Law Enforcement Officers/Agencies should be prosecuted and made to face the full wrath of the law.
That cutting-edge technology (streetlights, CCTV, drones) will be deployed to monitor traffic incidents and enhance security across the State.
That community, traditional and religious leaders should be more involved in intelligence gathered in and security of their domain across the State.
In his closing remark, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said: “A wise man once said, ‘when we don’t do what we know, we won’t know what to do.’ The challenge for us as Nigerians is doing what we know. Let’s go back and add actions to our words. That is what we as Government will do over everything said here today.”