ElRazur:

It is risky. It is dangerous and hazardous. These folks - like most road users on Nigeria roads - have little or no concept about road use. It is a good thing they are removed. However, it would be nice to see some sort of alternatives provided for them instead. Having said that, this is Nigeria.

The need to keep our road safe in my opinion, is greater than what some few thousands Okada operators would feed their families.

Ujujoan:

It’s no secret that most of the armed robbery incidences are perpetuated by these so-called Okada men. So I support the ban.

@Uju.
If ur points above are true,it follows that
1.We shud ban politicians frm public office because they are corrupt.
2.We shud remove govnors from office because dey ve not performed.

If we ban okadas because of ur reasons above,are we saying the robbers dat
attack ppl in dia homes okada men?

Ban ban has never solved any problem,ask OBJ

desgiezd:

A brief visit to the Okada Ward in Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital will convince you beyond doubt of an urgent need to do away with them.

walakolobo:

@Poster
get on one, ask him to make sure he has an accident, then come back here to ask this your question all over again.

@Uju.
If ur points above are true,it follows that
1.We shud ban politicians frm public office because they are corrupt.
2.We shud remove govnors from office because dey ve not performed.

If we ban okadas because of ur reasons above,are we saying the robbers dat
attack ppl in dia homes okada men?

Ban ban has never solved any problem,ask OBJ

ElRazur:

It is risky. It is dangerous and hazardous. These folks - like most road users on Nigeria roads - have little or no concept about road use. It is a good thing they are removed. However, it would be nice to see some sort of alternatives provided for them instead. Having said that, this is Nigeria.

The need to keep our road safe in my opinion, is greater than what some few thousands Okada operators would feed their families.

whats he difference between an okada rider and a worker going to work on a motorbike according to nigerian laws?

Ujujoan:

Okada riders are more in population and hereby take up most of the road. Nigerian roads are not built for such extra means of transportation. Even pedestrians have to struggle the road with motorists and then we’ll start bothering ourselves with Okadas. I live in a city where Okada causes nothing but trouble. They are not only reckless but out rightly unruly. Its something that comes with their profession and that shouldn’t be encouraged. Bus and tanker drivers might be unruly and unqualified too, but they are necessary. As far as I’m concerned, Okadas are not!!

Nobody’s blaming them for the problems we have in Nigeria, but I don’t think they are entirely without blame.

An individual might own his own Bike and might want to use it as a means of transporting himself, but I think the idea of a city depending on Okada as a means of transportation is downright primitive. And just because Americans use few Americans own bikes doesn’t mean it should be an acceptable means on transportation in a City.

Ujujoan:


Nobody’s blaming them for the problems we have in Nigeria, but I don’t think they are entirely without blame.

An individual might own his own Bike and might want to use it as a means of transporting himself, but I think the idea of a city depending on Okada as a means of transportation is downright primitive. And just because Americans use few Americans own bikes doesn’t mean it should be an acceptable means on transportation in a City.

Ujujoan:

@ Dis Guy

I think you are contradicting yourself. You just said it's necessary for some Bankers and some other people to get to work on time and then you trun around and say we are not depending on them.

In as much as they make transport a lot easier, they can be totally avoided. The issue of traffic congestion and bad road has made them a little bit more dependable but that dosent mean its a proper means of transportation.

Abuja adjusted to the no bike thing a long time ago and I think it brought a lot of order to the place. I just cannot be convinced that Okadas are things we cant do without in this Country.

Even with the curfew is not good enough. The ban is the best way out. They should be given taxis or keke Napeps to drive.

I don’t think we ought to blame Okadas for the problems we have on Nigerian roads ooo!!! Kai!! Primitive form of transportation? I guess the millions of Americans who ride their bikes daily to and fro their destinations are not informed of this.

Like Someone already said BAN ! BAN!! BAN!!! Has yet to solve any single problem in that country. We need better roads and better enforcement of road rules. With those, you can easily curb the problem in no time at all. Banning does not, I repeat, does not solve anything. I mean you only need to look into the state records to figure this out. Okada is a necessity, just needs to be controlled and forced to comply with rules like everyone else. What do we do next, BAN cars because of the high accident rates?

Most comments here are way off the mark. Some of you just sit in your air-conditioned offices, homes or cars and call for indiscriminate measures against the poor. Jobless youths in nigeria today go into the okada business coz it's relatively easy to start and there's a ready demand. Banning them will only lead to their loss of livelihood. Someone said find better alternatives, lets be realistic here, how many better alternatives exist that'll accomodate the millions of okada riders? If there were better options they wouldn't be riding okada in the first place.

As for those of you making noise about armed robbery,is it only okadas they use to rob?? When taxis and buses where used for the famous 'one chance' why weren't they banned? Militants use boats to bunker oil and attack JTF i guess they should ban boats too. . . Huh
If a person wants to rob, he'll rob! There are cars, bicycles,even trekkers who rob! What even stops a robber who's not neccesarily a commercial okada rider to rob with his motocycle after the ban?

The reasonable way out here is to organise the transportation infrasturcture including roads to accomodate the motorcyclists. Traffic regulations should be enforced by the releavant bodies. Afterall beijing, china has millions of bicycles plying the streets and it isn't a disaster.

chidichris:

@Tudór,
you are right but in situations like this, we must have a critical look at the issue. okada like i said earlier on has its advantages like speedy movements especially in places with heavy trafic. giving job to the jobless masses and bringing foods to many families but on the other side of it, we must look at the disadvantages which may include sending ppl to heaven with ease and on daily bases, aiding crimes of different versions and providing escape routes to criminals.

in as much as all of us here are finding solutions to our problems, we must look up to things with lesser disadvantages than its advantages.

True, but an outright ban doesn't cut it. It's indiscrimate and doesn't take into account the innocent majority.

Those disadvantages could be easily overcome having good roads and orientating the cyclists about traffic laws and enforcing them. Thats why we have the FRSC in the first place. As for the robberies, is it not the job of the police to patrol and make sure stuffs like that don't happen. People shouldn't lose their livelihood due to the incompetency of the police.
The solutions lie with the government and outright ban is a lazy way to deal with the problem.

ifele:

Becos robbers are using okada to effect robbery does not mean we should ban motorcycle ownership.

We can produce tuk-tuk or 3-wheellers or import them. Instead of using okada on which 2 or 3 people are going

groin to groin on one seat. When foreigners see us doing 2 or 3 on a motocycle what do you think they are

saying? We have to provide sensible solutions to problems.