By Abdulwahab Abdulah

As the ban placed on operations of commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada bites harder in Lagos, a Yoruba group, O’odua Nationalist Coalition, ONAC, has called for a five-year long term plan to completely phase out Okada as a means of transportation in the South West states.

At a press conference organised by the group made up of 26 social and cultural formations in Lagos, they argued that the disadvantages associated with the usage of Okada as means of transportation and economic survival outweigh its advantages.

Mr Olalekan Agbana, who spoke on behalf of the group, blamed the menace of Okada in Nigeria, especially in the South West, on the years of miltary rule and the resulting suffering it brought  on the people.

Agbana noted that this has resulted into a serious mass immigration into the cities, especially Lagos, resulting to threat to the environment, the people and their properties.

He disclosed: ”We have been reliably informed that some fundamentalists raise their funds from Okada riders. You will recollect that Boko Haram recently said it has 2000 fighters in Lagos. Where are the fighters, where do they live and which job do they do?

”With over 500,000 migrants armed with knives and daggers, what is the future of the people of Lagos, if suddenly there is a major ethnic strife in an increasingly fragile state like ours?”

For more information, read http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/yoruba-groups-want-okada-banned-in-south-west/

I think five years is too long. Three years is more feasible!

At a press conference organised by the group made up of 26 social and cultural formations in Lagos, they argued that the disadvantages associated with the usage of Okada as means of transportation and economic survival outweigh its advantages.

Could they atleast list the pros and cons?

I support this, but 5 years is too much

Must they blame the military for eveything?

-double post-

When I was growing up, motorbikes were very rare in Lagos. Infact, It was a thing of joy to see people riding motorbikes, as they were very few. Today, they are more of a nuisance to the society. Every society needs to be regulated, the total banning of motorbikes would be a good start to restore sanity on Nigerian roads.

Fully supported....we must get rid of Okada as a mean of transportation in the South West.

I think they should have proffered an alternative to okadas. We only know how to condemn but never profer solutions.

Supported. Phase out Okada as major mean of transport all over Nigeria. Government should wake up to her duties of providing good transportation for its citizenry.

i support it... youths are not focusing on something tangible to make as careers anymore, they all focus on driving okadas ... our youth farmers only leave rural areas just to drive okada in the city... criminals multiplying, accidents, environmental degradation, diseases such as cancer from okada fumes..... the disadvantages are just to numerous... the only advantage i see is the ability of the okadas to bypass traffic jam especialy when u are in hurry to somewhere and a place where the road is bad, but a simple good road network will put an end to that...

Am[b] in full support.[/b]

Total ban with no alternative, total amu robbas=armed robbers

Anyhow they want it we will give it them.

Seriously

afam4eva: I think they should have proffered an alternative to okadas. We only know how to condemn but never profer solutions.

Exactly.

I have to admit, his bokoharam argument does seem logical

fapcrook: Total ban with no alternative, total amu robbas=armed robbers

Leave them, armed robbers will teach them bitter lessons.

Unknown Member: - Okada is the Lazy mans option for a means of livelihood.

- Okadas became a nuisance in Nigeria.

- Okada has sent a lot of Nigerians to an early grave.

- Okada accident victims had special wards in many teaching hospitals across the country.

- The association of Okada riders did nothing to control its members.

- Criminals used it as a means of a quick getaway.

- [size=18pt]They didnt even bother with any form of safety precautions like wearing seatbelts[/size] and carrying just one passenger at a time.

- The era of Okada has come to an end. in another 20 years, Keke Napep (which is now worse than Okada in terms of menace to vehicle owners) would also fade away.

This talk of providing alternatives misses the point entirely.
Alternative to unemployment?? Everyone agrees there is unemployment in NIGERIA but Lagos alone cannot carry the country and Okada alone is not the solution.

If we are to solve the unemployment issue and agree as a nation Okada is the way to go then NO ONE should be allowed to ban and that includes Abuja. If as is the case now Abuja can ban and other states can ban then we are not being sincere with each other as those that do not ban become the dustbin for Okada
Fact is that Okada is becoming an INDUSTRY do we want that? Change is always painful and we have to indicate the DIRECTION we want to go and set a TIME for it.

Alternative to Transport. Part of the problem is the daily migration to Lagos and again that is a national problem Lagos is not Abuja or the FG and it MUST react when it is becoming overwhelmed.

On the Negative side it is not a safe means of transport and we can bury our heads in the sand about this but people die EVERYDAY on okada and we must ask if this is justified.
Many years ago there were slave owners in America who fought against the ban using this same "give us alternative" argument. It does not wash anymore. Okada has to go sooner or later and many people will have to leave Lagos and return to their origins to contribute more positively to our nation.

The issue is it is not only Lagos but the entire SW we set high standards for ourselves and believe we deserve better. We are willing to accept the pain that comes with the ban and believe that should motivate us.
In fact this "provide alternative alibi" can be use to stifle all progress. Like the guy receiving handouts from "chairman" believing there is no "alternative".
Necessity is the mother of invention and that is how okada came about if okada stops something better will come. That is the nature of life

What an irony! U used them as a stepping stone to the seat of governance,and then sack them after getting there...

Okada riders R just impossible, they ride der okadas as if they are charging their extra life at home!

Its not a bad idea,but i know dt once lagos introduced d ban, other south-west states will also fllow suit.........anyway ACN..........

They made a lot of sense.

As a secondary school student I trekked close to 1 kilometre every morning to get to school and same distance back. I did not need Okada. I wonder why Okada has suddenly made people to become lazy and unfit. If you are covering a short distance why not walk? If it is a long distance why not take a bus?

We need alternatives to this killer mode of transport. South-West should indeed get rid of it. Let us bring sanity back to society.

Ileke-IdI:


Could they atleast list the pros and cons?

YOu should be smaart enough to decipher them yourself

That is not the views of most people of the south west extraction but a personal views expressed by few elements.

luvinhubby: Must they blame the military for eveything?

Thank you. Don't mind the baggers!

State that have banned okada:

Abia

Bayelsa

Imo

Rivers

Abuja

Lagos

Delta

Ebonyi

Enugu

C.river

Only the capital of this states that okada were banned.

Any okadaman reading this news should start warming-up in order not to regret.

What about Nkwo Nnewi? the third largest automobile market in the world.

billions of naira going....