Barely six years after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) banned the operation of Motor-cyclists in the city centre, CHIKA OKEKE reports that the operators have fully returned to the city centres irrespective of the penalty awaiting defiant cyclists.
His eyes blinked continuously as if searching for a lost coin while his body language corresponded with his look. The dark complexioned man who identified himself as Mr. Luka? Bitrus was frightened for violating the rule barring commercial cyclists from operating in the metropolis as was reflected in his visage.
The Hospitality Management graduate from Ramat polytechnic, Maiduguri resides at New Kuchingoro village but shuttles the city and Area I as a commercial cyclist.? Bitrus who is in his early 30’s admits that he is a native of Borno state but came to Abuja in search of greener pasture and was compelled to join Okada business due to the dearth of employment.
Narrating his ordeal to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, he said: “After I graduated from Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, I searched for work and I couldn’t get any so I relocated to Abuja to continue the search but to no avail. That was how I found myself as an Okada rider in this city not because I derived pleasure in riding okada but lack of employment led me to it.
Bitrus decried government in ability to address the rising unemployment in Nigeria but enjoined the FCTA to empower the cyclists to enable them raise money for their upkeep.?
He added: “Government are not allowing us to work rather they are pursuing us like bush meat. I want them to empower us with even Keke Napep so that we will leave this Okada business but they refused. It’s not fair with what they are doing because they are supposed to provide something for us to do.? Let government look into the issue and assist the commercial motor-cycle operators so that they can assist their families.
Bitrus’s dilemma is synonymous with those of other okada riders’ that were deprived of their daily bread in places like Enugu, Imo, Lagos and Niger States among others where the ban on commercial motor-cycle business was fully enforced.
It would be recalled that on October 1, 2006, the former minister of FCT, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, banned the operation of Okada riders which was not restricted to satellite towns alone. The ban was not fully enforced and that led to the return of the cyclists.
However, the FCT Minister, Sen Bala Mohammed toed the footpath of his predecessor by ensuring that strict enforcement was applied on the operation of commercial motor-cyclists in Abuja metropolis.
In the early 90’s, there was hardly the presence of Okada riders, but with the ban on motor-cycle, tricycle was introduced to cushion the effect of transportation in FCT and few years into their operation, they were restricted again due to over speeding and reckless driving.
Notwithstanding the penalty attached to the offence, Okada operators have resumed business fully in places like Area I junction, Area 3 junction and Asokoro. They are operating tough-mindedly and were always at alert to avoid running into the task force.
Okada riders want alternative employment, tricycle
As this reporter visited Area 1 junction, the cyclists were positioned in front and beside Conoil Filling station in deliberate small groups of three and four, waiting for prospective customers so as not to arouse suspicion.
Musa Andra from Borno state shuttles between Area 1 down to the Old federal Secretariat but revealed that since the enforcement period started, many cyclists were forced out of the road and called on FCTA to provide alternative employment saying that unemployment could lead them into engaging in unscrupulous activities.
Andra who resides at New Kuchingoro said: “FCT has warned us to stop riding okada in the city. The reason that we engaged in Okada business is because we don’t have work to do and our parents don’t have enough money to train us in school and that is why we decided to join this business.
Nobody will do Okada business till infinity and it’s not in our interest to ride it. If they want to pursue us, it’s better for them to provide alternative jobs for us and where they fail to provide work, the only option is to go into robbery.
Umaru, a native of Bauchi state and resident of Area 1, appealed to the FCT minister and federal government to rescind their action in the interest of the common man who solely depend on Okada business as a means of livelihood.
According to him, “Since there is no work to do again, we decided to join Okada business. I want government to assist in providing an alternative employment because we don’t even like Okada business”.
“Some of us are poor and our parents do not have money to send us to school; that was why we decided to go into Okada business in order to raise money for our upkeep. If government can provide Keke Napep for us, we are willing to dump this business”, Sunday David from Borno state and a resident of games Village said.
… Seek amendment of ban
AYA junction directly along Yakubu Gowon crescent was another hot spot where the cyclists converge to pick customers. They would be willing to take their client to any part of Asokoro as long as they agree on the charges. They ride as far as to Haile Selassie Street, Kwame Nkrumah crescent, Thomas Sankara Street among others.
Another cyclist who gave his name as Mr. Sani shuttles at the nook and crannies of Asokoro but stations at AYA junction.
According to him, “I was riding Keke Napep but when they stopped us, I returned to okada riding because there is no work to do again. Do you know what? I am married with two children, so if I remain unemployed, who will provide for them because my wife is just a petty trader.
The Kano state-born cyclist appealed to the FCTA to revisit the ban, saying that it was already causing unthinkable hardship for thousands of okada riders.
He added, “I believe that they want to sanitise FCT but let the minister revisit the issue again because the poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer in Nigeria. There is high rate of unemployment and we that have chosen to be self-employed are suffering as a result of the ban.
“I started this business in 2004 but in 2006, the former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai banned the operation of commercial motor-cycles in FCT”, Mr. Emmanuel Johnson added. We were disturbed but within the shortest possible time, everything fizzled out and the business started booming as usual. Unfortunately, the new Minister, Bala Mohammed reintroduced the ban and it was so serious that majority of Okada operators became unemployed.
Johnson who also plies the streets of Asokoro added, “But because the minister introduced Keke Napep to cushion the effect of transportation, the okada riders became employed again and diverted to Keke Napep business. Suddenly, they also banned Keke Napep operators from plying the metropolis.
We waited for some time to know whether he will reverse the order but he refused. With the frustration, we returned back to the city because it was almost impossible for some of our members to feed their families.
VIO promises zero tolerance to commercial motorcycle
Contacted, the Director of FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO), Rtd Col. Wilson Alade reiterated commitment towards ridding the Federal Capital City of the activities of commercial cyclists, saying that “the directorate is giving zero tolerance to their operations”.
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