Lagos State Government has given
okada riders in the metropolis 21 days deadline to stop plying all the
restricted routes.
During a meeting with the okada
unions in Lagos at the State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, the state government
reiterated the need for the riders to cease from plying the stipulated roads.
The chairman of the meeting and
Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Tunji Bello told newsmen that the
government have given riders in the state 21- days deadline for the union to
sensitise their members to desist from plying the stipulated routes before
disciplinary actions would begin against offenders. According to him,
“We just held a meeting with the okada
unions on what should be done; we have held meeting with security agencies
before now. Recently, we noticed resurgence of okada riders going back to their
old ways. Some of them even drive one way on Apapa Expressway. When you go to
Apapa, Lagos-Badagry Express, Gbagada, and others, you will see them. We have
to call them to let them know”
“The complain was that when the
election was coming, there was relaxation and they went back. They though there
had been relaxation. They asked us to give them sometimes, we felt there was
need for two weeks of enlightenment, but they said it was too short. They asked
for. Two months till August and we said no, we can only give three weeks
maximum because we are not doing anything new, what we are doing is to
reinforce the law, it is not that we are re-enacting the law,”
The SSG
further reiterated that when the law was introduced in 2012, okada accidents
was drastically reduced, many hospitals felt the relief Igbobi and LUTH no
longer have much patronage.
“We are
not going back to that era again. Three weeks is not small, they have to go and
enlightenment their members on the need to leave the road. We are not going
back on enforcement, we need to save members of the public and the only way to
doing that is to restrict them,” he added.
He said
three weeks was enough time for the riders to adjust so the government would
not have to spend much money on enforcement.
“These
are laws already in place and they have to obey, it is just that we have
relaxed and members of the public have started feeling the pains. Go and see
lots of violation between Okota and Mile 2 now, some of them have started
colliding with cars, we cannot continue,” he said.
Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Oluseyi Coker said the law restricting.
Okada riders from major roads. Is still in force, as government has not
suspended it.
three days
ago, we gave you a list of most dangerous routes to ride okada in Lagos.
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