Dele Ogbodo in Abuja
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, tuesday said federal government would not ban commercial tricycles and motorcycle operators in the country.
Amaechi, who made the disclosure at this year’s meeting of the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motocycle Owners Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) in Abuja, said slamming ban on operators in that sector of the economy would negatively impact on the economy.
He said: “Federal government will not ban Okada riders as such will lead to huge loss of jobs and this will affect the economy, hence, the resolve not to ban the operators.
The minister, who admitted to have used ‘Okada’ to go to work even as a Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, however, explained that there was need to adopt industrial rules and standards to guard against criminals hijacking the sector.
He promised that government would open discussion with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks and other important institutions to ensure that the association and its members get a soft loan to assist their work.
In a remark, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Mr. Gbenga Ashafa, advised the association to present a bill to protect its teeming members and their interests to the National Assembly for consideration.
According to him, such bill will pave the way for members to adequately benefit from the dividend of democracy through easy access to government’s social empowerment programmes.
Also speaking, the President of ACOMORAN, Mr. Babangidda Mehuila, said the association has more than 12 million members spread across the country and has contributed to massive reduction of unemployment.
He said: “It should be noted that our membership cuts across the length and breath of the country and can contribute significantly to the nation’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), by well over N100 billion, if properly harnessed.”
Mehuila appealed to government to assist the association to access interest- free loans to enable members acquire motorcycles and tricycles as is presently the case with NURTW, NARTO and RTEAN.
