Tony Okafor, Awka

No fewer than 15,000 people will be thrown into the labour market in Anambra State following the ban on commercial motorcyclists in Onitsha and Awka, the Zonal leader, Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria, Kingsley Nworah has said.

He expressed reservation over the government’s decision, saying they were taken unawares.

The state government had on Tuesday announced the banning of Okada operations from July 1.

In a statement by the Press Secretary to Governor Willie Obiano, Mr James Eze, the decision was one of the resolutions reached at the state executive council meeting on Tuesday.

He said it was part of the overall strategy adopted by the government to deepen its crackdown on crime and restore sanity in Onitsha and Awka.

But Nwora while addressing journalists on Wednesday at the MOTUN office in Awka, the state capital, said the association had over 15,000 members in Awka and Onitsha who would lose their jobs because of the pronouncement.

He said most of his members were breadwinners of their families, wondering what would befall their wives and children in the circumstance.

He said,”We are not less than 10,000 members in Onitsha and about 5,000 members in Awka.

When reminded that the ban was a security control measure, Nworah asked,”Is it only Okada that is used to commit crimes? Haven’t they seen where cars, especially jeeps were used in robbery and kidnapping operations? Will they now ban jeeps in the state?

“Besides, we have always cautioned our members against getting involved in criminal activities, while we penalise the erring ones as a deterrent to others.”

Nworah who admitted that certain criminal activities were executed with the assistance of motorcycles, however, maintained that outright ban of commercial motorcycle operators was not the solution.

He said his union generated over N1.2m monthly to the state’s coffers as Internally Generated Revenue.

donvicky2007:
Before cutting people's source of income, try as much as possible to provide an alternative source for them, if not the state will be sitting on a time bomb.


Lalasticlala

NonsoWow:
Those states that have banned them already, has the bomb exploded?

dealslip:
Please sacked Okada men, dont relocate to Lagos. We dont want trouble here. The Anambra govt cannot just scrap this people's source of income and don't expect a consequence in terms of increase in insecurity, armed robbery, kidnapping, fraud and other vices. 15,000 breadwinners sacked just like that will definitely have a repercussion. Obiano did not think this one through

NonsoWow:
The majority of okada riders in Anambra are wawa and abakaliki criminals who relocated to anambra from surrounding states that banned okada due to their criminal tendencies. With this ban, they will now relocate back to their own states and continue their criminal activities there.

donvicky2007:


Can you tell the crime rate in those states?

afroniger:




http://punchng.com/okada-ban-operators-groan-as-15000-lose-jobs-in-onitsha-awka/

Okoyeeboz:
So, there are 15,000 Okada riders in Anambra state. I thought they were all billionaires over there with the noise their illiterate paupers make on Nairaland.

Some ipob miscreants claiming to be billionaires on Nairaland would soon start cursing Obiano for seizing their Daddies' okadas.

Okada Amaka!

NonsoWow:
The majority of okada riders in Anambra are wawa and abakaliki criminals who relocated to anambra from surrounding states that banned okada due to their criminal tendencies. With this ban, they will now relocate back to their own states and continue their criminal activities there.

ozoebuka1:
No be onitsha I dey stay again Which okada them ban??

Okoyeeboz:
So, there are 15,000 Okada riders in just Onitsha and Awka? I thought they were all billionaires over there with the noise their illiterate paupers make on Nairaland.

Some ipob miscreants claiming to be billionaires on Nairaland would soon start cursing Obiano for seizing their Daddies' okadas.

Okada Amaka!

NonsoWow:
Abia, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta have all banned okada in their cities. Please do tell us whether the crime rate increased in these states after they banned okada.

Okoyeeboz:


Why do Anambra people hate Enugu and Ebonyi people so much?