Thousands of commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada, yesterday, stormed the office of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, to protest against the recent ban on okada operations in certain parts of the state by the government.
The protesters, who came with demands on the governor, said he should either reconsider his decision on the ban on Okada or provide them jobs, saying the agony of job loss would be too painful to bear by them and their families.
The protesters, gathered at the gate leading to the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex, while the police prevented them from entering the governor’s office.
They insisted that the decision by the government to ban okada in the affected areas might lead to a total ban on Okada operation in the state by December, and considering the poor state of the nation’s economy, it might lead to a loss of means of livelihood for thousands of riders.
According to their spokesman, Adeleke Adegboyega, who is Zone S Chairman in charge of Kosofe, they came to plead with Sanwo-Olu to reconsider the ban on okada, because the present situation in the country could not support the decision.
Adegboyega said with the ban, more than 20,000 riders would be affected, noting that on average, an operator had at least 10 family members he had to cater to, wondering what would become of such a person’s fate thereafter.
“Crimes are not committed alone with okada. Look at the issue of the train attack in Kaduna, they were not committed by those who are legitimately engaged in the okada business. I beg the government to see what they can do. On our part, we are doing our best possible to sanitize our members. The solution is not to impose a ban on okada business in the state,” he said.
