19th April, 2016
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who went round the town on Tuesday, reports that the major ‘okada’ parks in the town, had been deserted.
Lokoja Park near the Unity Square roundabout, the University main gate park and Market Park on Dekina road, were devoid of the usual high number of commercial motorcyclists competing for passengers.
One of the few operators at the University main gate who gave his name simply as ‘Thomas’, said most of the operators had gone to the villages to collect cashew nuts, being the season, because “it pays more’’.
“A bag of cashew nuts now sells for N38, 000.00, depending on the area; they can easily collect a bag in less than two days.
“You know that these days, with the fuel scarcity problem everywhere, ‘okada’ business is no longer profitable,” he said.
Some of the residents interviewed by NAN said they were finding it difficult to move around as the commercial motorcycle operators had parked their bikes to pursue a more lucrative business in cashew nuts.
Mr James Alhassan, a civil servant and resident of the town, told NAN that residents relied heavily on the commercial motorcycle operators as there were no taxis in the town, adding that few tricycles operated alongside the motorcycles.
According to him, the development has brought untold hardship on residents as they are forced to trek long distances to and from their business places, markets and social functions.
Alhassan noted that a wait for the few available commercial motorcyclists could be time consuming.
Mrs Rhoda Ikani, a nurse, said she had to wake up early to start the long trek to the private hospital where she works.
Ibrahim Suleiman, a student of the State University who resides off-campus, said students now leave their various hostels early enough to trek to lecture halls.
Mrs Hassana Ademu, a housewife said she had been lucky on few occasions to get cyclists to take her to the market, but had to pay twice the fare.