Hmm..So I saw this ... #MY #OKADA #EXPERIENCE AND THE - #NEW #DESTINATION #LAGOS #VISION

I believe our city of Lagos must be sane in all ways from traffic situation to safety of the residents, I believe in the new destination Lagos and I commend all the visionary leaderships that have sustained this vision, somewhat Lagos is the only place where there is some level of agreement about the developmental thematic thrust of succeeding administrations from Jaga himself, through Raji Eko o ni baje, Akinwunmi Itesiwaju Eko and Sanwo Eko a gbe wa o.

There is a central vision, goal and clarity about the direction where Lagos should head.

Now if I tell you that I do not know the menace that comes from Okada, Keke Marwa(coined from the name of a former Lagos MILAD - General Buba Marwa) I will be untrue to myself, indeed sometimes they are irritants.

Now I am here thinking of Sandra whose passionate appeal I could not walk away from as I watched her say she has OND from Yaba Tech in Lagos, self sponsored out of riding the more organised GOKADA, and hoping to proceed to the HND and in the background of the interview were many young men and girls , co- GOKADA riders with Sandra, all of them looking forlorn, sad and drained because it looks like their survival before the elusive and imaginary future that we often say belongs to them, the youth is about to be taken away from them.

Now let's be clear about this, things are tough.

I salute the resilience and undying spirit of the Nigerian youth, they bear their yoke with uncommon candour and holding on to the tiny thread of hope, even as the hope recedes in the distant horizon daily.

Really who likes to be an Okada rider having put all of 4 to 5 years to get a degree, from a shoe string budget, coped with challenging times for parents and then they get out of school and no jobs.

Make no mistakes about those glowing lyrics entrepreneurship in our country is difficult, very difficult, even some of us who could be said to be privileged out of ruggedness still push so hard to get things done, nobody said it will be easy should not equate that it will be so hard.

Ok take a look at this ban, any young man who does delivery business and built his business model and client servicing around using Okada has just lost his dream, his investment and opportunities.

With that decision, the door on his entrepreneurship dreams to survive unemployment only just vaporized.

I know of hinterland in Lagos where Keke Marwa comes to the rescue of Pregnant women who suddenly went into labour, provision of buses wont address this reality, that means lives of baby and mother may be imperilled.

So My dearest Egbon and Gov Sanwoolu at the above event in this video had spoken about social inclusion but ideas to regulate and make it a service sector ( no matter how irritable, which will be controlled a little as he said) I dont then think it will be so nice to sack all Okada and Keke Marwa in one fall swoop.

I know the pains of hunger. I know what it means to wake up and not know where your next meal is coming from PARTICULARLY when you have families to feed, nuclear and extended, I know what it means to lose a child to inability to get 3000 to treat typhoid, these are the realities that these people may be subjected to from this morning, not to talk of the hundreds of thousands whose lives and means of livelihood are intrinsically weaved around this vilified fringe, unwanted but undeniable service industry.

There is NO way Government will be able to provide enough buses for all routes in the city and her many interiors. No way.

No government anywhere has, otherwise there will not be gaps that the Ubers and Taxis are filling today.

Unfortunately everyone cannot afford this.

My personal experience so many years ago, I had a presentation to close at a multinational and the head of the organisation gave me 2pm and he said he was going on holiday, heading to the airport after my presentation.

I got ready all decked out, and sorted in my car with the driver in good time to make the trip to the office in Victoria Island, only to get to Anthony and there was this MAAAD traffic, and I said I will wait a little and time was closing on me.

God knows I needed that transaction that December.

What did I do, I called three Okada, one to take my jacket, another to take my materials and I held on to my laptop, I made it there with 25mins available to freshen up, change my Shirt and wore another from the bag that one of the Okada guys took for me.

That way i was able to beat the gang up of the devil.

As the Lord will have it, the blue shirt I changed into was the first thing one of the panelist complimented, I spoke for 10 minutes and they said I should give them some time, I did and when they called me back in, it was Congratulations, your award letter will be ready tommorow.

So I have God to thank for the miraculous intervention of the Okada who by the way i could not tell where they are today, who I only paid 2000 naira to get a job of 14million naira that I could have lost to Lagos traffic!!!

We must think of one another. "Ta ba nge igi nigbo, ka fi oro ro ara eni wo" i e if we are felling trees in the bush, let's also imagine if those trees were humans.

Government must show some reflective appreciation of contextual and contemporary realities before some decisions are taken, the society is not made for those who have escaped but for those still caught in the unfortunate web of the icy place of life's challenges and they are unfortunately in the majority at the base of the triangle whose lives and what matters to them are basic and not self esteem as it is for the guys at the tip of the triangle.

My heart bleeds when I see people suffer, and I just want to lend myself to do the minimum I can to ameliorate the challenges of these people who are human beings too.

Some of these riders will never get close to Alausa or Bourdillon for contracts or favours , they just want to live, if we ignore, we will raise more dare devils out of hate and resentment that no orientation or pontificating sweet nothings can change.

The sad spectacle and reality then will be that then nobody will be immune.

Please My Egbon give this a little thought, there are a lot to consider in making a decision that will throw many people into despair and darkness of life where they are struggling to come out from .

Every life counts.

God bless Lagos. #City of #Opportunities and #dreams.

God bless the visionaries behind Lagos.

God bless Gov Sanwoolu.

#Congressman #bimbo #Daramola
#Abuja.
4th February 2020