A few hours ago, thousands of commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) besieged the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, office of Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, to appeal to him to suspend the ban of their business in 6 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The ban is scheduled to commence on Thursday, September 1, 2022.
In an ongoing phased clampdown, on August 18, 2022, the Governor announced a total ban on the activities of Okada riders in additional 4 Local Government Areas..
Equally affected were their respective Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs.
Earlier, traditional rulers, religious leaders, residents, Community Development Associations, among others called on Lagos State Government to consider a total ban on the operations of Okada riders across the state to end the menace and security threat posed by the group.
The first phase of the ban occurred on May 18, 2022 when Sanwo-Olu declared the total ban on Okada operations in 6 LGAs, and the respective nine Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, under them.
Along with the LGAs are all major bridges and highways of the State and the subsequent inauguration of the Lagos State Anti-Okada Squad.
The squad has as its responsibility, to aid the police and taskforce in implementing and enforcing total compliance with respect to the law to curtail the unruly activities of the riders.
Sanwo-Olu had on May 10, 2021, reviewed the 2012 Lagos Traffic Law guiding the Okada operations, after his predecessors, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode’s administrations banned their activities.
The initial six LGAs and nine LCDAs are: Apapa, Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Ikeja, Ojodu, Onigbongbo, Lagos Island, Lagos Island West, Lagos Island East LCDAs, Lagos Mainland, Yaba LCDA, Surulere, Coker Aguda, Itire-Ikate LCDA.
Others include: Eti-Osa, Eti-Osa East, Eti-Osa West, Iru Victoria Island and Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA.
The additional four councils affected by the pronouncement, include: Kosofe, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu LCDAs, Oshodi-Isolo, Isolo, Ejigbo LCDAs, Shomolu, Bariga LCDA and Mushin, Odi-Olowo LCDA.
The protesting Okada riders were led by chairman of Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State, MOALS), Ramoni Eleniyan and few other union leaders.
As of press time, 3.30pm, the leadership of Okada association were in a emergency meeting with government officials led by Deputy Governor, Dr. obafemi Hsmzat to find an amicable resolution to the issue.
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