Committee of the indigenous Associations of Lagos State, CIALS, weekend, disclosed that most of the Commercial Motorcyclists (Okada) and Tricyclists also known as Keke NAPEP, are citizens of Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and other neighboring states that flung into Lagos under the guise of looking for sustenance.
The association also stated that since the the re-enforcement of the Lagos State traffic Law on Saturday 1st, February, 2020, the state have recorded a significant reduction on road traffic accidents due motorcycles crashes from 23 percent to 11 per cent.
Speaking during a press conference in Lagos, Coordinator, CIALS, and a Professor of Statistics at the University of Lagos, Rasheed Ojikutu, said that any serious government could not look away whilst its citizens lose limbs, become maimed and even lose their lives just because some people must eat.
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According to him, “After all, the Bible says “Man does not live by bread alone”. Many of the hospitals and mortuaries, particularly the governments owned, are filled with productive lives that have either been maimed or terminated.
“It is on record that the introduction of the law reduced road traffic accidents due motorcycles crashes from 23 percent to 11 percent. This reduction should earned the government a good commendation.
“But in the recent times the proliferation of these Okada and keke Napep operators has made the situation quite frightening. Due to obnoxious carelessness, untrained and aggressive disposition of the operators as well as the increasing use of Okada for robbery, the Lagos State Government had to revisit the traffic Law of 2012.
“The more worrisome of the prevailing situation is that there was an increasing influx of non- Nigeria with palpable ulterior motives into the trade. People from Niger, Mali,Chad, Burkina Faso and other neighboring states flung into Lagos under the guise of looking for sustenance as okada and keke operators.
“Should this be condoned? It is total security risk especially in view of the menace of the increasing insidious insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, raping and killing. A serious and committed government cannot afford to fold its arms and surrender the lives of its people to allow for such atrocities to fester.”
“CIALS supports Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu in this bold and highly commendable step to sanitize motorcycle and tricycle commercial transportation in Lagos state.
“The association feels that the denouncement of this enforcement by some few people is mischievous and misguided. Afterall it is not a total ban in Lagos State. The measure is just within six local government areas and nine local council development areas and bridges.
Why Okoda, keke NAPEP have to leave Lagos roads now-Sanwo-Olu
“Okada and Tricycle can still operate within the remaking fourteen Local Governments. Secondly, other major cities like Abuja, Portharcourt, Owerri, Enugu, Kano and kaduna had equally banned okada.”
