As federal government contemplates a nationwide ban on commercial motorcycle – to curb the rising spate of insecurity in the country – members of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NACTOMORAS) say government should shelve the plan, adding that it won’t help to achieve the desired objective.
Instead, the association said, the ban will become another major insecurity threat to the country.
NACTOMORAS wondered why the federal government found the proposed ban of commercial motorcycling (Okada) most expedient to solving insecurity challenges when it has not put measures of cushioning the fallout of the ban in place.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, national chairman of NACTOMORAS, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Hassan urged the federal government should consider the economic, social and other implications of pushing its over 14 million members into the already saturated unemployment market and drop the plan. Hassan said the trade also creates indirect jobs and source of livelihood for mechanics and dependents of the motorcycle riders. “We are not happy with the pronouncement and we have rejected it in toto,” Hassan said.
Hen said, “We have over 14 million Okada riders across the 36 states of the federation including the FCT-and if these great numbers are pushed off the road what are the alternatives and other means of survivals the minister and federal government have put in place for them?”
Pointing the current level of insecurity in the country, the association the government is trying to open another window of unemployment that will add to the already existing injuries.
NACTOMORAS the fact that the ban on Okada in Zamfara, Sokoto and other states in the north failed to address insecurity should serve as evidence that commercial motorcyclists were not the problem. The association said the federal government has many ways of knowing how motorbikes find their ways into the hands of terrorists. It urged the government to deploy its enormous powers to tackle insecurity headlong and stop venturing into what would create more security threats.
The association which said most of its members are registered and could be traced in any case that their motorbike is used for crime.
NACTOMORAS urged the federal government to take advantage of its call for partnership to better regulate and sanitise commercial motorcycling in Nigeria. “We are appealing and requesting the federal government under the leadership of president ‘ Muhammadu Buhari to consider and approve the setting up of a very powerful committee that will comprise the leadership of commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators in the country, ministries, agencies and parastetals that will sit and come out with the modalities that will guide the operation of commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators in the country,” Hassan said.
