Follow Us on Google
From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The recent report about the intention of the Federal Government to ban commercial motorcycles operation across Nigeria has attracted the anger and condemnation of Anambra State Chairman of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN), Mr Jude Udegbe.
Udegbe, who was quite emotional and visibly exasperated as he lashed governement on the move, queried the rationale behind it in the first instance.
He argued that okada ban would remain a bad and unpopular policy in the present dispensation since federal and state governments have not taken any positive step to ensure that millions of unemployed Nigerians are gainfully employed.
He reminded the Federal Government that many graduates produced by institutions of higher learning in the country have become okada riders as their last resort in order to make both means meet. Udegbe asked whether any university or other institutions offer okada riding as a course so as to say the frustrated graduates are practicing what they studied.
“Okada ban can never be executed in Nigeria. Millions of people are already jobless. Government is just chasing shadow. Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members have been on strike for over five months because governement cannot meet up with the demands of the lecturers. But politicians can afford N100 million to buy nomination form for 2023 presidential election.
“Federal Government just woke up and started talking about banning okada to render over 50 Nigerians jobless. Is it not hardship that pushed those Nigerians into okada riding? The All Progressives Congress (APC) governement is adding more problems to Nigerians with that step they are contemplating.
“If they eventually ban okada across the country, the result will be highly devastating and you know an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. The ban will definitely triple crime rate in Nigeria. I don’t know how this governement reasons,” Udegbe said.
The okada riders chairman further neutralized the argument that the ban would bring under check bandits’ use of motorcycles for operation. He wondered whether series of high profile crimes in several parts of the country were only executed with motorcycles.
He cited bank robberies, the Kaduna-Abuja railway kidnap incident with some of the victims still in captivity for nearly four months, school children kidnaps in the North, kidnappings across Nigeria and the recent attack of some President Muhammadu Buhari’s security details as cases of reported successful operations by bandits or terrorists, asking whether they used motorcycles in carrying out those operations.
He insisted that the security challenges of Nigeria must not be rested on okada business which, according to him, is rather a problem-solving venture. He warned against the danger of okada ban. He argued that it will be counterproductive.
Back home in Anambra State, Udegbe’s administration has been at loggerheads with Governor Charles Soludo’s governement over ticket fees increment from N100 to N300 per day.
It was learnt from Udegbe that the ticket increment palaver started with former Governor Willie Obiano’s administration when each okada rider in the state paid N50 daily which was later raised to N100 during Obiano’s second tenure after consultations with the leadership of MTUN in Anambra.
However, the story changed recently as Soludo’s governement has come up with a new tax regime.
The Anambra MTUN boss argued that the revenue generated from okada ticket fees should statutorily go to the local government councils and not the state government. He said that the state highjacked the revenue drive, noting that it had been made possible because of non conduct of council election in the state.
He said: “When this administration under Soludo came in, they discussed okada ticket fees increment among themselves without consulting us. They said we should begin to pay weekly but we rejected that and insisted on a daily ticketing. Our argument is that someone’s motorcycle may develop fault which will put the rider out of business. How can he pay at the end of the week? So, it’s a daily business and the ticket should be collected daily. There’s no place in the entire federation where okada ticket fees are paid weekly.
“At a time, they came with the agenda of monthly payment when we have not even accepted weekly payment. From monthly ticketing argument, they jumped to N300 ticket fees per day per okada rider which is N7,500 every month. We were not in the meeting where they discussed it. We were neither invited by the Ministry of Transport nor the Board of Internal Revenue to discuss that.
“I don’t know whether the state governement knows that majority of the okada riders are operating on hire purchase. They remit money to the owner of the motorcycle, some on a daily basis and others according to the time frame agreed with the owner of the motorcycle. How can they meet up after paying the high fees to the state?
“The okada rider will pay his children’s school fees, feed his family, pay house rent and other miscellaneous expenses. So, anybody who advised governement that okada will pay weekly or monthly didn’t advise governement well.
“N300 is too much for an okada rider to pay daily. Based on the economic situation in the country, N150 or N200 is okay and that should be daily. But if it should be weekly, they can consider between N800 and N1,000 per week. We can accept that. If they want to make it monthly, N2,000 will be okay.”
Apart from that, the union is also worried about the method of payment which Udegbe said governement directed that it should be into account details the State would make available to the okada operators and designated Point of Sales (POS) for that purpose.
Udegbe said that would be cumbersome for his members. He declared it unworkable. He said he doubted the workability of the payment system given the fact, in his opinion, that okada business is not the same as vehicles transportation.
He argued that buses and keke (tricycles) have loading spots and clear-cut routes whereas okada riders who often operate in rural communities have no parks as to smoothly adopt the payment method which governement demanded.
“They should call us to stakeholders meeting for us to tell them our mind. As for the N7,500 monthly fees, we can’t pay it, ” he concluded.
