Lagos backs down on Okada, tricycle menace

Sanwo-Olu, okada riders, tricycle rider

Despite reeling out frightening statistics on okada and tricycles menace, the Lagos State Government on Monday said it will not be taking definitive action against illegal operations of commercial motorcycles and tricycles on restricted routes across the State.

The state government had on Sunday said 200 okada accidents were recorded in the state on monthly basis, with 150 people killed in tricycles accidents in the last four years.

However, after a four-hour Security Council meeting chaired by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and attended by all commanders of security agencies in the State, on Monday, the government backed down on definite action on okada and tricycles.

Briefing State House reporters after the meeting, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the Government’s delayed action against restriction of motorcycles and tricycles was informed by the need to achieve a generally acceptable solution to the menace.

Omotoso disclosed that relevant parties and stakeholders had reached out to the Government with suggestions and representation that could be adopted to proffer a win-win solution on the matter.

The Security Council, the Commissioner said, is currently considering the suggestions and recommendations submitted to the Government before coming up with definite plans on the Okada menace.

He said: “We have just concluded our routine security meeting, during which issue of Okada and tricycles was discussed exhaustively. For now, no major decision will be taken on the matter. There are several factors for this development, but the main reason is to reckon with various opinions expressed by stakeholders.

“So many people have made representations to the Government concerning commercial motorcycles and tricycles, including human rights groups, unionists and traders. They came up with many reasonable observations; all their views have been collated and are being considered.

“We feel it would not be good enough for the Government to make final decision on the matter without considering the opinions of the stakeholders. That would be against the spirit of democracy for which the Sanwo-Olu administration stands.”

Decisions to be taken on the matter, the Commissioner said, will reflect the views of all stakeholders and wishes of concerned residents.

L-R: Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso and his counterpart for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, during a press briefing on Advocacy and Enforcement of Traffic Law in the State, at the Lagos Hosue, Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday, January 13, 2020.

Omotoso said security of lives of Lagos residents and safety of visitors remained paramount to the Government, stressing that the Sanwo-Olu administration would not compromise in this regard.

According to the Commissioner, the ongoing enforcement of the extant Traffic Laws and Okada restriction will go on, pending the final decisions of the Security Council. He added that advocacy was currently on-going to sensitise riders of Okada and tricycles on the need to obey traffic laws.

At the briefing, include the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo, and Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Fredric Oladehinde.

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5 Comments

Rich says:

January 20, 2020 at 9:24 pm

The real menace are the cars, not the Kekes and the motorbikes. How many keke-keke deadly accidents are there? It’s the massive space hogging gas guzzling SUVs that are the problem. Banning Keke and okada will just make the horrible traffic situation worse. A better idea would be to ban SUVs and give tax breaks to people who use Keke and okada. Better yet. Turn some of the major roads into parks so people can walk places instead of having to depend on vehicles.

Mikerhymz says:

January 18, 2020 at 11:57 pm

Eey Mr ransom cool or what do you call yourself, stop insulting our Excellency. If i may ask how many company have you established in the state or how many poor people have you helped? You are supporting the idea of putting an end to okada. If the population of okada riders is added to the population of the jobless people in this country, many people may end up being robbers. Many children will turn illiterate because their parents are jobless. So this okada helps so many families, it feeds so many mouths and help many illiterate parents to be able to send their
children to university. Instead of putting an end to okada, I will advised we should please consider other people’s plight till the country turns better for us all. To say the truth, it ain’t easy for the poor.

Ashley says:

January 15, 2020 at 9:29 am

Sanwo-olu had done the best on this issue, he shows great concerns to lagosian transportation problems, i salute his courage to bow down to peoples opinions , tricycle and Okada are really playing a major role in our daily activities, especially in facilitating movement in traffic, i see them as an alternative to conventional public transportation vehicles, in this present road conditions and especially when heavy constructions are on going in nearly all parts of the state, for instance i have dropped my car for both Keke and Okada as it pleases me to office thanks to our enviable peoples’ governor, continue with your listen ears sir

Ahmed says:

January 15, 2020 at 8:42 am

It is always a good idea to consider all sides before taking a critical decision

Ransome Cool says:

January 14, 2020 at 4:45 pm

Honestly if care is not taken you Sanwo Olu will become the most inefficient Governor in this Lagos state because you are only talking without much action. You have not being able to follow up with any law put down in Lagos.

Fashola, Amode were able to ban Okada riders on Lagos roads based on the law on ground here you are still listening to who before you implement the laws, it is very shameful. The issue of trailers parking any how Fashola cleared all that you came in you can’t do anything than to blow English.

Ikosi – Isheri LCDA roads are all bad and you claim to be repairing roads in Lagos as no single road in the LCDA had been attended to, even the road in front of the LCDA, Ikosi road is terribly bad from the express to Ketu, Aladelola, Loveall, Jimoh Balogun and several others are bad and very soon rain will start and election will come you will come for votes again.

The God we worship will not allow it to happen for you to come back for second time if you fail to repair these roads as promised and tackle the menace of Okada riders and other problems in Lagos.