By Eddy Odivwri
I am so excited about the new dawn in Lagos tomorrow. I cannot wait to see how refreshing Lagos will look.
New dawn? How?
Are you not in this country? You mean you do not know of the ban of motor cyclists and even tricyclists otherwise called Okada and keke Marwa operators respectively? You do not know that the ban takes effect from tomorrow? You don’t read Newspapers or listen to radio?
(pouting his lips, releases a long hissing sound) Is it that announcement that is making you so giddy and excited? Are you new in Lagos? Lagos will ban Okada and you believe? Please tell me something else
What are you implying? Are you trying to say we should not believe His Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu? Or was it not he who sent his commissioner for Information, Hon Gbenga Omotosho to make that announcement?
Point of correction: are you not aware that the governor said he should not be addressed as His Excellency? That it is an epithet exclusive for God?
Ok, I have heard you. But that is not the point. You mean we should not believe the governor or that as from tomorrow, these irritants called Okada riders and keke Marwa riders will still be found on those 10 major highways and 40 bridges from which they have been banned? Just wait and see and you will confirm that indeed, a new sheriff is in town.
Calm down my brother. Don’t invest too much hope on such flippant policies. It is called executive gra-gra. We are used to it.
I beg your pardon! You call such a major government decision a flippant policy? Did you not hear of the statistics of deaths and major accidents? Did you not hear that between 2016 and 2019, there were over 10,000 cases of reported accidents in General Hospitals alone, and over 600 deaths? How can a responsible government tolerate that? Did you not also hear that criminals (robbers and kidnappers) use Okada and keke Marwa as quick-getaways? And you say banning them is flippant? Gosh!
But do you realize if they were not useful to Lagosians, they won’t be on the roads?
Rubbish question! Don’t you see how the cluster of Okada riders deface Lagos? How can such ugly hubs be part of the mega city dream of Lagos? How does their menace support the Centre of Excellence status of Lagos state? Away with them!
So what is the alternative? Where are the so-called BRT buses to fill the gaps? How will Lagosians survive the daily worsening traffic snarl in Lagos metropolis? Do you realize that the mass of the disengaged Okada and Keke operators will take to crime?
Do you realize that Lagosians have come to accept Okada as necessary evil which they are prepared to live with? So if government is banning them from those six LGAs and nine LCDAs, there must be ready and easy alternatives. Otherwise, government will not only be increasing the stress and agony level of Lagosians, but will also be laying the foundation for the failure of the policy.
Government is not foolish! It is working out measures to fill the gap and attend to the arising issues
So what also happens to the Bike hailing startups like Max.ng, Gokada, Opay, ORide, which the Lagos state government, last July, had collected licensing fee of N25 million each from, for every 1000 bikes they bring in? Is that the end of their money?
Are you their spokesman? In any case, they can ply the roads not included in the ban. But if they breach the law as from tomorrow, the law enforcement agents have been instructed to embark on “full enforcement”.
Well, we can only wait and see. But I can tell you for free, that shortly before the 2023 elections, the fire in this so-called law would have long died down, trust me. Political consideration would take over. Go and ask former Gov Raji Fashola what happened to his own Executive gra-gra.
They will not unban it, but nobody will arrest any Okada man anymore, even when found around Alausa secretariat. You want to bet?
You are a doubting Thomas
