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By Molly Kilete, Juliana Taiwo- Obalonye, Okwe Obi, Adanna Nnamani and Esther Ekwete
Commerical motorcycle riders, popularly known as Okada, operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have vowed to resist attempt by the Federal Government to push them out of business.
On July 22, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami announced that government was planning to ban commercial motorcycles and mining activities, as part of measures to curb insecurity in the country.
Malami contended that some of the kidnappings and killings around the FCT were enabled by motorcycles used by bandits to wreck mayhem.
This is not the first time government would be threatening to outlaw the activities of commerical motorcyclists because of their lawlessness.
Early this year, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Babaji Sunday, had a meeting with over 150 heads of various motorcycle units and associations across Abuja, warning them to curtail their activities. The meeting also had in attendance representatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Sunday instructed security agents to slam sanctions on lawbreakers. But it did not yield positive results, as these fellows operated with reckless abandon.
However, the proposed nationwide ban has rattled and divided stakeholders. Some experts see it as a laudable initiative, others fault it with the argument that it would plunge millions of Nigerians, including graduates, into poverty.
Denouncing the decision, national president, Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Samsudeen Apelogun, fired the first shot by describing it “disingenuous.”
Apelogun noted that, if government should match words with action, about 12 million of its members nationwide would be thrown into the labour market and, inadvertently, escalate terrorism.
He said: “Commuters see motorcycles as a relief to their transportation problems, while motorcycle riders see their adventure as a source of livelihood.
“Without a doubt, the use of motorcycles has enhanced mobility for the middle class and low-income earners, which, by extension, has contributed to an increase in production through an increase in man hours.
“Let me put it on record that, from experience, 95 per cent of those you see riding motorcycles are doing it because they don’t have better options but they don’t want to take to crime.
“If 10 million of these 40 million people they plan to render jobless take to crime, can the government contain them?
“If you attribute the movement of terrorists to motorcycles, don’t criminals operate with vehicles?
“When terrorists regrettably attacked Kuje prison, was it the motorcycle riders that caused the failure of intelligence gathering?
“If they rode motorcycles there, how were they able to beat all the security checkpoints to get to such a fortified facility?
“Was it motorcycles that made it possible for them to overpower the security agents attached to the facility? Were motorcycles also responsible for the late re-enforcement?”
Rather, he advised government to concentrate on how to alleviate the agonies of the citizenry against this move that will further compound their pains.
Bewildered, a motorcycle rider plying the Kabusa-Galadimawa axis, Awal Abubakar, said: “It is all lies. I do not believe they can completely stop motorcycles from operating in the FCT.
“They can only stop us from operating in the city centre like they have already done, even though they still keep tormenting us here in the area councils.
“I think the ban will just be a way to further extort (money from) us. What they do is that they seize our bikes and make us pay huge sums to get them back.
“It is just a ploy to make more money from okada riders.”
Abubakar revealed his daily income from the businesses. He said: “On a very good day I make up to N8,000 but on other days, I make about N4,000.
“I have two wives and nine children and I take care of them from my okada business.”
Unruffled by government’s consideration, Musa Muhammad, a motorcycle rider at Nyanya, said: “If they like, let them ban Okada. I believe God will give me another source of income.
“Besides, I do not depend solely on Okada business to survive. I also have a poultry. Stopping bikes from operating will only worsen the insecurity they are claiming to fight.
“How will people who live in remote areas cope? Many people will be robbed, attacked or kidnapped in the process of trekking home, especially those that the paths to their homes are lonely.”
Abdullahi Adamu, who spoke to Daily Sun at Area 1 roundabout, said the implementation and enforcement would deepen criminality.
“Banning Okada will cause a lot of problems in Abuja. Most people will take to crime because, when you take away a person’s means of survival, how do you expect him or here to cope?
“There are no jobs in Nigeria, yet you want to destroy the little ones people are managing. I make about N5,000 to N7,000 daily and I remit N1,500 to the owner of the bike.
“I have a wife and four kids and they all depend on me. I also support my aged parents from the business.”
Emeka Chukwuma said: “Okada-riding is not my only business. I have other jobs that I do. So, the ban will not really affect me.”
Speaking on his daily income, Chukwuma said: “I make between N5,000 and N6,000 per day just from the okada business.
“These bandits, I am not sure they work during the day, even if they are posing as Okada riders. But I have reservations if banning motorcycle business will tame insecurity.”
Saliu Saidu, another rider, argued, “They (government) cannot ban okada because there are many roads okada will pass that cars cannot pass. If they truly want to get the bandits, they can track them.
“I make about N8,000 a day and that is what I use to take care of my family. So, if government decides to ban motorcycles, where will I get money to take care of my family?
“I do not agree that the government should ban okada; it will affect many of us.”
Ibrahim Musa, an indigene of Borno State who was displaced by the atrocities of terrorists, lamented that government’s decision would throw his family into poverty: “Okada-riding is my only business and I make N6,000 to N7,000 a day. If government should prohibit us then I will sell water in a truck because that is the only thing I can do.
“Government should, please, not stop Okada because that is what most of us use to take care of our families.”
Also kicking against the intended ban are commuters who stressed that it would affect their mobility.
Ben Otori, a commuter, said: “Without prejudice to the good intentions of the Federal Government, I think the proposed nationwide ban of commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders, is an ill-timed, knee-jerk thought.
“First of all, a nation battling growing youth unemployment, low productivity, poverty, food insecurity, staggering inflation, terrorism and other crimes cannot afford to take an action that will worsen the social horror.
“It is on record that about 40 million youths nationwide are into the Okada business and the multiplier effect is that they touch the lives of their dependents through proceeds of the business.
“In essence, the lives of at least 150 million Nigerians are impacted through the Okada business; when you factor their families and other dependants.
“I do not want to talk about the ease of movement for dwellers in far-flung settlements and rural communities in general. In fact, it is their only means of transportation.
“Besides, the Okada men pay daily levies, thus contributing to the local economy where they operate. Imagine throwing 40 million Nigerians into the already saturated job market in a nation of about 200 million people.
“That is close to a quarter of the population. We would have an instant national disaster on our hands, especially when you factor the wider effect.
“Insurgency and other crimes will be the rule rather than the exception. The country will be unlivable because the overstretched security agencies certainly cannot handle the hydra-headed crimes that will erupt.
“I reckon that some of these riders are criminals by means of movement. But we can restrict their movements in certain areas and deal decisively with defaulters.
“The government should also embark on mass electronic registration of the operators like it’s done with the vehicles/owners, so we have their biodata. This must be strictly enforced also.
“If the government insists on the ban, let’s have an instant alternative business or suitable means of transportation to engage those hitherto in the Okada business.
“Any vacuum is lethal. Above all, the government knows where the criminals are.
“It should flush them out rather than treating them with kid gloves and waiting for criminals to turn Nigeria into another Afghanistan.
“Nigeria is not the only African nation using Okada for public transportation. Many others are doing it and they’re not battling insurgency, how are they holding it together? We may need to learn from them.”
Uju James appealed to government to provide an alternative means of transportation that will replace bikes for residents, if it must outlaw motorcycle activities in the FCT.
“There is high rate of kidnapping, robbery, ‘one-chance,’ and these crimes are not perpetrated with bikes. So, I do not think the scrapping of bikes in Abuja will help to curb insecurity.
“Also, if banning of bike is an option, there should be an alternative for us to use. For me, banning bikes will not curb or reduce insecurity in Abuja.
“This a means of livelihood for a lot of people. And taking away their means of livelihood means you are pushing them to the streets with no option.”
Victoria Ngwu said: “I do not see any reason for banning motorcycles. They are not ready to fight the bandits and terrorists, if not, they would have done so long time ago, but the people leading us are still the ones empowering them.
“During the #EndSARS protest in which palliatives were looted, a warehouse in a village along Airport Road was forced open by residents and it was discovered to be filled with hundreds of motorcycles.
“People looted them and the next day, the soldiers came searching from houses to house in that area, retrieving the motorcycles.
“They claimed it belonged to a government agency that stored it there to distribute to their staff later. Have you ever seen any government agency in Nigerian distributing bikes to staff?
“They have not told us the truth about who is providing the bandits and terrorists with the motorcycles with which they operate.”
Adesola Olayinka argued that, “I think it is a good thing to ban bikes because of the insecurity issue.
“But at the same time, it is not good because the people government is trying to protect will also suffer as there are roads that bikes will take you through that if a car passes there it will damage the vehicle, and taking bike is also faster for me.
“Nigerians adapt easily to things. So, I am sure we will cope, if the government thinks it is the best thing to do then they should enforce the ban.”
Ola Olatunji stressed that: “Banning Okada riders is not the best because that is what most of them use to survive and it would really affect their families.
“These people we call bandits carry out their evil job with some other means of transportation, not just through bike.
“Government just needs to work on the insecurity in the states but not to just ban Okada from working.”
On his part, Moses Fenton pleaded with government not to ban motorcycles “because that is my only means of survival here in Abuja. Except I will go back to my village and start farming.
“Yes, bandits can pose as Okada riders but, if they stop motorcycle business, it will affect innocent people like me.
“If the government really wants to stop bandits, they know their leaders.”
Kelechi John, a motorcycle dealer, lamented that, if government should forge ahead with the prohibition, it will affect his business: “It is certainly not a good plan. It will affect us greatly. As we speak, I have ordered for over 200 pieces from Lagos. Government should look for a different way to tackle insecurity.”
Shauibu Moses, another dealer, described the proposed ban as “laughable”, addin: “We will run out of business. Our dependants will go hungry. Besides, it will still not solve the problem of insecurity.”
