A youth group under the aegis of North-East Youth Transformation Forum, on Sunday, July 24, 2022 faulted the plan by the Federal Government to ban commercial motorcycles known as ‘Okada’.
Recall that the Federal Government on Thursday, July 21, 2022 through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, while briefing State House reporters following a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja stated that the Federal Government is considering imposing a statewide ban on the usage of commercial motorcycles, also known as Okada.
Malami further disclosed that investigation revealed that okada were used for mining activities across the country and the ban could cut off sources of funds of terrorists and bandits.
But the group, through its President, Comrade Abdulrazak Albani, decried the decision, stressing that it would subject about 98 million Nigerians to hardship.
Acording to him, out of the 200 million people in the country, over 98 million of its population suffer from abject poverty and do not have vehicles of their own pointing. Okada ban would further make them vulnerable and miserable.
Albani revealed that aside from making transportation difficult for the poor citizens, the decision would render commercial motorcyclists jobless as well as increase the rate of crimes in society.
He said, “The population of the country hit over 200 million now and statistics by the UNDP reveals that people living below the poverty line in the nation are 98 million, almost half of the population. These people cannot afford three square meals daily let alone possess transportation vehicles.
“So the ban on motorcycles operation will compound their problems and make many people jobless.
“We, therefore, call on our senators, house of representatives members, governors, traditional and religious leaders to prevail on the federal government to jettison this decision.”
