By OLUWOLE FAROTIMI
Scores of commercial motorcycle operators popularly known as Okada riders yesterday stormed some parts of Lagos State to protest government clampdown damaging no fewer than 10 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses.
The Okada riders who were said to be piqued by the state government’s enforcement of the new traffic law that led to impounding of over 5000 commercial motorcycles in the state went violent, sabotaging government-owned transport system. The violent protest, which started in Ikorodu area of the state spread to other parts of the state including Ojota, Onipanu and Ejigbo axis. The angry Okada operators, who were prevented from carrying out their activities on the restricted routes, mobilised in groups attacking both the BRT and LAGBUS buses, even as they inflicted injuries on some of the passengers.
Daily Sun observed that there was apprehension at the bus stops, leaving many commuters stranded as commercial bus operators avoided the routes until a team of policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) was quickly deployed to the area to quell the protest. Daily Sun learnt that some of the protesters arrested by the police were whisked away in police vans. In Ejigbo, Okada riders took over the road, leading to traffic gridlock in the area while they carried leaves and chanted anti-government and solidarity songs.
The Okada riders who vowed to resist governmen’s restriction rejected the ban placed on them from plying 475 roads in Lagos, saying it would cripple their businesses. Speaking on the attack on BRT buses, the spokesperson of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi said the irate Okada operators damaged both BRT and LAGBUS buses.
He said information reaching him from the scene of the protest showed that five BRT buses were destroyed by the protesters. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ngozi Braide who confirmed the protest, said the police moved swiftly to quell the protest.
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This Okada wahala and the way Lagos state Fashola are just deceiving people shows that politicians all over are not to be trusted, I pity the people who risk their life to vote for this vipers called politicians. Evil minded people we call leaders. God will judge them very soon. I pray that they will repent before it too late. You did not provide jobs for this people and you are taken away what they use to manage with their family, and they think it will be well them, it is impossible, the down fall of this administration has come. Fashola and his cohorts beware.
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What is the average erning of n OKADA rider a day in Lagos? Probably about N1,000 a day which amounts to about N30,000 a day. That will keep a couple with one child going in a month. When you deny such a person his only source of income without any alternative source of income, no unemplyoyment allowance, no job etc what do you expect? It is OK to seat in the House of assembly with huge allowance, huge wages, perks and a jeep. The govt should have registered all the okada riders and provided them with alternative jobs or training in other skills and if possible financial subsidy. May be train and engage them as Bus Drivers or Bus Conductors or Ground Staff. Let us even look at the effects on the public that use okada as cheap / alternative form of transport.?
Lagos should not compare herself with other states in Nigeria, coz its 45% men source of income
Lagos state govt should have provided alternative means of lively hood before embarking on this venture of eradicating okada riders on Lagos roads. Vocational jobs or training was not made available to cushion their plight, how then do you think this order can be adhered to? U mean they should sit at their various homes at Lagos to foment troubles day in day out? I sincerely foresee more security problems ahead at Lagos state, God help Nigeria.
Fashola shld tink twice or police shld b ready 4 day light robbery nt even nite again in lagos cuz those jobless okadas must survive
I agreed with all ur comments my brothers, fashola should pls luk dis okada issue again and find a better future for dem.
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Lagos state govt should think twice,to denial somebody his/her means of livelyhood is like pushing that person to wall definitily that person must bounce back,the mistake has been done before now.The Fed Govt saw this that’s why seat of power was relocated to Abuja,The state govt should take things easy with those okada operators to avoid more security problems in Lagos state
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LAGOS STATE GOV IS INHUMAN, HE DONT EVEN CONSIDER THE POOR PEOPLE AROUND HIM BEFORE MAKING CERTAIN LAWS. DOES HE GO ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT? SO HOW CAN HE KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE PASSING THROUGH. HIS OWN IS JUST TO SITE DOWN THERE COLLECTING TAXES ON EVERY THING THE POOR MASSES DO IN LAGOS. IF YOU BAN OKADA RIDERS, WHAT ELSE DO YOU GIVE THEM FOR THEIR LIVLYHOOD? YOU WANT THEM TO GO ROBBRY SO THAT YOU END UP CHASSING THEM UP AND DOWN ALL FINALLY KILLING THEM? YOU WANT TO PUT THE LIFE OF UNPROTECTED CITIZENS TO DANGER? WELL, THINK
come 2015 dont vote for ACN they are buch of thieves .they dont have anything in stock for the masses .they self centered leaders ,tyrant and dictators.
Nancy, you are humane. I agree with you whole and entire.
May God help these okada riders and provide them with succour.
I SAID IT THAT THOSE WHO VOTED FASHOLA FOR THE SECOND TIME SHOULD BE READY TO WEEP WHEN THE TIME COMES. THE TIME HAS COME. THE MAN IS STIFF HEARTED. HE DOESN’T HEAR PLEASE. IS IT THE OKADA RIDERS HE SHOULD BE TACKLING OR HIS BOYS, ELECTION RIGGERS AND HIS CAMPAIGN TOGS “THE AGBOROS ALL OVER LAGOS”. HE DIDN’T REMEMBER THE SUFFERING THAT THE COMMUTERS WILL SUFFER, THE SECURITY ISSUE, THE FATE OF THESE OKADA RIDERS. ALL HE KNOW WAS TO STOP THEM WITH NO ALTERNATIVE JOB FOR THEM, NO PROVISION FOR TRANSPORTATION OF TEEMING LAGOSIANS. YET THEY WENT TO ONDO STATE TO CLAIM IT AND WHEN THEY ARE VOTED OUT THEY ARE CRYING FOWL. WHO IS FOOLING WHO. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. THOSE THAT TELL HIM WHAT HE HEARS SHOULD TELL HIM THAT HE IS ABOUT CAUSING THE PROBLEM HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE IN LAGOS. HE BETTER RESCIND HIS ACTIONS BEFORE HE LOST CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.
MEANWHILE, THE OKADA RIDERS SHOULD STOP ATTACKING BRT ‘COS FASHOLA DIDN’T BUT ANY. PLEASE, THEY BETTER GET GOOD LEGAL TEAM TO TAKE UP THE MATTER. WE WILL SUPPORT THEM IF THEY FOLLOW IT LEGALLY. ALL NIGERIANS SHOULD STAND UP TO ASSIST THESE POOR, HELPLESS OKADA RIDERS BECAUSE THEIR LIVES AND THAT OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS MAY BE STANDING ON THE PRECIPICE.
Obi, in as much i agreed with all said, please don’t advice the Okada rider’s not to take actions against taking away their means of livelihood. let them come out in more forces to confront the Government and make transportation business to stand still in lagos state until their problems are solve and their taken bikes returns back to them. If they are to wait for a court order which i believe they would get socour anyway, but hunger would lead some of them to robbery and i beg if that would happen, please don’t go to innocent strugling people like you all. You know where to go and face them with your complaints that would enable all those rubber-stamp legislators in lagos confront Fashola for a quick change. Habaaa, what do you expect these Okada riders to feed on now. Is like you sack them out of jobs.
FASHOLA should think wisely, you told them to collect rider card, how much are you get told, OKADA rider a day in Lagos? Probably about N1,000 or more a day which amounts to about N30,000 a day.pay for children school fees,it keep a couple & family with a child for month. When you deny such a person his only source of income without support or any alternative source of income, no unemployment
Why is Lagos different? It was done in Abuja, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and many other states and heaven did not fall. Imaging riding okada from Oshodi to Sango at the peak of traffic? Okada on 3rd mainland bridge? They don’t even have regard for any traffic law…they are a law unto themselves. I think the ban is long over due. It is for their own good and good of other road users. Their disadvantage far outweighs their usefulness. The ban must stay. Imaging what Abuja city center would have been had okada not been banned.
Fash pls for God seck reinstate this ban of okada or you may live in this lagos all alone
Fashola what seems to be your problem this time around? I know you mean well but i believe there are a million more ways to go about tthis. You and your cabinet should further brainstorm please.
Lagos state should ban okada outright period.
If you can travel round your state for one week only without having in mind the idea of burding okada under any circumstances, come back and repeat this your coment. But if i may ask; wha is the value of freedom of movement if one can not use what he have to go where he want. What then is the value of freedom of life when there is no food to sustain that life. This is violation of fundamental human right as depicted.
LAGOS GOVT DID NOT BAN OKADA ENTIRELY IN LAGOS BUT ASKED THEM TO STOPPING DOING BUSINESS ON THE HIGHWAYS. Pls let us put sentiment appart let us save our lives first. If u go to LUTH u will get my message. I use to patronise them along oshodi-agege highway before but when I withness consecutive accidents along IKJ I have to stop it.
insted of placing embargo on okada in Lagos, Fashola should work on the law enforcement agent who always collect money from them when they commit one offence or the order, this barn would have bad effect and destroy the image of his good image, because the disadvantage is more than the disadvantage, Fashola should learn from IGP how he removed the police from the road rather than the commuters.
Governor Raji surppose 2 stop okada only on d high ways not eveywhere in lagos becos most of d okada rider are graduates. Why Acn want to send many back 2 there villages? I am very sure nobody will vote for AcN in d next election
Fashola be more prepared for social insecurity. Government all over the world carries its citizens along in their policies. This is an absurb policy without human face. why not first register them and then engage them in alternative vocations. Fashola was our peoples governor, someone i look up as the credible Nigerian who can wrestle power from PDP messing up. Surely, Okada riders will fight back and Fashola shall become a history.
I thank God for the life of Ondo people who did not vote the ACN.I am mere political observer.And I know that Fashola and his ACN people are extremist.They want their state to be like world class europe without studying our mental and economic situation.The economic situation in Nigeria has produced lots of mentally derained poor masses in the midst of few political trillionaire rouges.The dividend of democracy in Lagos are numerous without nothing to show in the poor people concentrated areas.Heavy taxes,double taxes,clamp down on poor masses house for property taxes,hawking taxes,riding permits,cooking permits,emmission permit,health permits,OGEPA permits,tourist and hotel permitt,vehicle permit,Okada permit.Haba ,clampdown on jobless people mean of living is the last straw that will kill the camel.Reduce the number of double lane street and allow Okada business to take decent shape.If not,this will mark beginning of disaster for ACN,remember the rich like you does not Vote.
Violent begets violence; destruction begets destruction. I warned the Lagos State government against destroying these people’s means of livelyhood but they did not listen. ‘Ona ofun ona orun’
What pains me most is that when the consequence of this rash decision comes, it is the innocent poors that would bear the brunt.
Elero dist
accident can come from any where , fashola should con ceder a lot of things b4 this , why not create more road job b4 all this , meanwhile the accident usually occur out of highway ok
doing the right thing at the. wrong time means doing the wrong thing. those in power must realize. that unemployment in the land is at its highest level ever. provide jobs first. then u can ask the okada people to vamoose.i
Fashola, please don’t let these miscreants intimidate you. Use every force at your disposal to kick these idiots out of the roads. There’s poverty in England and the USA. In Greece people are already committing suicide. That does not mean that the state should be cowed to such an extent that some idiots will just arrive from their villages on day, buy okadas and start constituting themselves into a nuisance, in total disregard of municipal laws. This is the problem with Nigeria and Nigerians, because equally ignorant people will come out to support them. If this is what they want, why do we even have laws in Nigeria? We should just fomally acknowledge that it is a lawless country, everybody do as you like, in the name of trying to survive. Nonsense and ingredience!
the government should realize that many of this okada riders were riding it as a result of frustration of unemployment,for example a banker was sacked in my area, his house demolished by the Lagos state government because of drainage which was later abandoned this man has no other option than to be riding on okada and now his okada was apprehended,how will he feed his family ,there are bundles of graduates out there that are not gainfully employed so they decided to be riding okada so as to earn something in other to feed themselves, am of the opinion that if the government will ban okada there should be another means by which the okada riders will be getting money to feed there family.
How I wich am around!
Fashola should not be cricified for a law made for the good of the entire populace. Okada riders are not outrightly banned from operating in lagos but were only stopped from plying highways where their operations can endanger lives. Why must this people take the laws into their hands by destroying the common assets of all of us. I strongly recommend that these law breakers should be arrested and promptly prosecuted. Imagine them attacking innocent BRT passangers, that it absolute brutality.
Most of you supporting okada are talking TRASH. Maybe you are okada men yourselves or you use them for your nefarious activities.OKADA IS A MENACE TO DECENT SOCIETY. If rivers,akwa ibom,Abuja,abia etc .can ban these miscreants why not Lagos. Some fools are even suggesting that Lagos open up vocational centres for them. That is utter rubbish, they should go and learn a trade or go back home to farm…nonsense and ingredients…
Kooly, your comment is the most senseless and foolish comment in this forum… Haven’t you heard of the saying that says ” whatever worth doing, is worth doing well”? Is only in Nigeria that Government wakes up some morning and get the masses building and residential areas demolished, without alternative allocation. Our leaders are quick to pass laws that affects the masses as long as they are not affected… Is only a leader whose heart is made of Stone that will not put into consideration the well being of those OKADA riders before passing into law ban.. While deliberating on it, the law maker didn’t think it wise to get an alternative job for these men whose families are looking up to…. Kooly or whatever you call yourself, for the fact that, it was done in Abuja, Rivers and Abia, doesn’t make it right for you to just throw them out of job without providing alternative.
why can’t our so called leaders tnk enough 2 talk well. For GOD sake what crimes have these okada riders committed in creating job 4 themselves since govt has failed them. The problem wt nigerian leaders is that they like imitating policies without tnking of the predicaments inherent in such policies. We should also know that imitation leads 2 limitation. May GOD help us
kooly is unserious.