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Lagos assembly threatens outright ban on okada riders

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday said it might review the restriction placed on commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called okada riders, by the state Road Traffic Law to outright ban.
The law had restricted okada riders from operating on 475 major highways, roads and bridges in the state.


However, the okada riders had been protesting the restriction, saying it was meant to drive them out of jobs. One of the protests on Monday went violent as they vandalised some public properties.
Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, in reaction to the violent protest said if the riders did not stop the vandalisation of government properties, the lawmakers of the state might have no choice but to ban their operations.

While briefing the Assembly on the protest, the lawmaker representing Mainland Constituency II,   Mr. Olanrewaju Oshun said, “The okada riders took to Ikorodu road in protest, destroying government properties including the Bus Rapid Transit over the restriction of their operations in the state.”

The lawmaker frowned on the attitude, calling on the state government to strengthen security agencies to protect lives and property.

The Speaker, while reacting to the incident, said, “The Assembly will not hesitate to ban okada out-rightly if the riders continue to destroy government property and constitute nuisance in the state.”
Another lawmaker, Mr.  Bisi Yusuf said, “Okada riders operations had been banned from states like Yola, Yobe, Kano, Abuja, Rivers and some parts of the Osun State. Banning them in Lagos will not be a new thing.”

Meanwhile, the Assembly also read Governor Babatunde Fashola’s letter for the presentation of 2013 budget estimate scheduled for October 31, 2012.

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