Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG) Dr Kingsley Emu has said the ban on commercial motorcyclists (Okada Riders) and scrap metal scavengers, popularly known as “Iron condemn,” in restricted areas is not a witch hunt of any ethnic group.
In an interview with journalists after a meeting with critical stakeholders in the state, Emu said Nigerians must obey the rules and regulations of the areas where they live.
In separate remarks at the meeting, the Sariki of Asaba, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Gero, a special assistant to the governor, Alhaji Muktar Usman, and the chairman of Delta State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Auwalu Turkur, said they would continue to support the state government’s policies and programmes.
Emu said the essence of the meeting was to strategize for effective operations, implementation, and enforcement of the ban on commercial motorcycles in restricted areas. It also included properly briefing and handing over the gazette to critical stakeholders so that they could be abreast of it and educate their people.
According to him, commercial motorcycles remained banned in the capital territory. He added that commercial motorcycles have also been banned in most areas of the Oshimili South and Oshimili North local government areas.
He pointed out that the state government had listed all the streets where they (commercial motorcyclists) should not ply, noting that they have become a source of concern to Deltans and residents not only in the capital territory but across the entire length and breadth of the state, even as he said that they had been warned to comply.
“Nigerians can live anywhere they like as long as they behave well.
“During the meeting, we were made to understand that there are three types of northerners who ply and operate in Delta State, and they include those who lived here and who have always lived with us here and have their children and their businesses here and are known to us.
“Those who have been dislodged from other states and from a lot of crisis in the north who have come here and the third part is the very violent people from Niger Republic who are not even documented and they go ahead and do some terrible things that are ascribed to our brothers,” he added.
On scrap metal scavengers, Emu said, “We also announced at the session some forms of registration process for the iron scavengers (the iron condemn people) that have also remained banned. Their activities are banned until we regularise the registration procedures.
“We have also set up a sub-committee headed by the Attorney General’s Office that will put together, a registration document that will act as a template for the entire state and until then, no iota of activities for iron condemn.
“So, we shall, by next week, after we receive the document, make some further proclamations on how we need to proceed. We want to institutionalise the process of enforcement.
“Be rest assured that our people will go to bed with their eyes closed; be rest assured that this exercise will work; it is not a witch hunt for any ethnic group, but we shall make sure that we enforce this one; it must be enforced,” he said.
