Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has said that the state government would not suspend the enforcement of the traffic law banning the operations of commercial motorcyclists in the state capital despite sponsored articles in the media calling for the repeal of the law.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Danladi Ndayebo, said that several people were either killed or maimed in accidents involving commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada in the last few years, necessitating the ban on their operation. Ndayebo said that investigation by the Police and the Ministry of Transportation showed that several people either died or sustained serious injuries in accidents involving motorcycles.
The statement added that targeted killing of policemen and some robbery incidents recorded in the last one year were carried out by criminals who rode on motorcycles. It informed residents of Minna that adequate arrangements have been made to cushion the effect of the ban, emphasizing that the traffic law had come to stay and would be enforced strictly.
The statement said 1000 units of KEKEN TALBA, 8 units of 18-seater buses and 12 units of 100-capacity Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) buses have been put on the roads to ease transportation problems in the state capital, warning that government would not succumb to any blackmail in enforcing the law.
The statement also dispelled the rumour that motorcycle operators would be put out of job as a consequence of the ban, saying the 1000 units of KEKEN TALBA are currently being distributed to Okada operators through the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Operators Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN).
