Association denounces FG, says banning okada would aggravate security concerns
As reactions continue to follow the planned ban on motorcycle operations for safety reasons across the country, an association operating under the umbrella of the National Association of Owners and Operators of Commercial Tricycles and Motorcycles (NATOMORAS), criticized the federal government for attributing safety problems to runners.
National Executive Secretary of the association, Comrade Sylvester Nandi-Esom, speaking to DAILY POST, Abuja, said the association has over 14 million members across the country, saying the government got its policy wrong by banning motorcycle operations.
He said that government everywhere has a social contract with the people, to ensure the welfare of its citizens and not to create hardship, pointing out that the growing insecurity across the country was the result of a lack of political will on the government side and not the other way around, they were going about it.
Reacting to the Abuja siege with casualties, Nandi-Esom called the incident unfortunate but said the federal government has done little to tame the tide of arms smuggling, a development which he said was responsible for insecurity across the country.
"Government itself is a social contract that has been established between the people and the government, to give them protection in the area of security, social welfare, infrastructure, etc.
“So if governments fail in their own responsibility, they look for places to rub shoulders with what is supposed to be the responsibility of a less privileged class of people in our society.
“The reason I say this is that over time the government has failed in many ways in the area of security, underestimated the security aspect of life’s assets, in especially in Nigeria.
"And now what they underestimated is that they come to their doorstep and, out of fear, they bring back all kinds of stories that the Okada Riders did this and that.< /p>
"You remember that we had serious security problems in Nigeria. We had the problems of a chance, the taxis, Boko Haram started their activities but we did not ban the sale of ammunition.
"Where did they get this ammunition? The fact that we have no borders in Nigeria is already a problem because this ammunition was smuggled into this country because we don't manufacture it.
"People bring them into the country as part of their business. They don't prohibit the smuggling of this ammunition. They don't prohibit those who trade in all of these businesses.
"Now that crime has increased in our society, the government, due to a mechanism that happened in Abuja, Kuje Prison has been assigned to Okada.
“Now my question is, if you ban Okada today, what is the alternative that you have prepared for the citizens, what are the mechanisms in place to quell these excesses of insecurity? concerns, we are an association enshrined in the Constitution.
"we are registered with CAC with about 14 million members. So if you ban Okada for the reason that crimes are being committed, now the problem is that we have different segments of Okada.
“There is a commercial purpose, which is our members, the private Okada, there is one that they use these days now for delivery. empowerment, the government has done some empowerment for teachers and there they have Okada."
As reactions continue to follow the planned ban on motorcycle operations for safety reasons across the country, an association operating under the umbrella of the National Association of Owners and Operators of Commercial Tricycles and Motorcycles (NATOMORAS), criticized the federal government for attributing safety problems to runners.
National Executive Secretary of the association, Comrade Sylvester Nandi-Esom, speaking to DAILY POST, Abuja, said the association has over 14 million members across the country, saying the government got its policy wrong by banning motorcycle operations.
He said that government everywhere has a social contract with the people, to ensure the welfare of its citizens and not to create hardship, pointing out that the growing insecurity across the country was the result of a lack of political will on the government side and not the other way around, they were going about it.
Reacting to the Abuja siege with casualties, Nandi-Esom called the incident unfortunate but said the federal government has done little to tame the tide of arms smuggling, a development which he said was responsible for insecurity across the country.
"Government itself is a social contract that has been established between the people and the government, to give them protection in the area of security, social welfare, infrastructure, etc.
“So if governments fail in their own responsibility, they look for places to rub shoulders with what is supposed to be the responsibility of a less privileged class of people in our society.
“The reason I say this is that over time the government has failed in many ways in the area of security, underestimated the security aspect of life’s assets, in especially in Nigeria.
"And now what they underestimated is that they come to their doorstep and, out of fear, they bring back all kinds of stories that the Okada Riders did this and that.< /p>
"You remember that we had serious security problems in Nigeria. We had the problems of a chance, the taxis, Boko Haram started their activities but we did not ban the sale of ammunition.
"Where did they get this ammunition? The fact that we have no borders in Nigeria is already a problem because this ammunition was smuggled into this country because we don't manufacture it.
"People bring them into the country as part of their business. They don't prohibit the smuggling of this ammunition. They don't prohibit those who trade in all of these businesses.
"Now that crime has increased in our society, the government, due to a mechanism that happened in Abuja, Kuje Prison has been assigned to Okada.
“Now my question is, if you ban Okada today, what is the alternative that you have prepared for the citizens, what are the mechanisms in place to quell these excesses of insecurity? concerns, we are an association enshrined in the Constitution.
"we are registered with CAC with about 14 million members. So if you ban Okada for the reason that crimes are being committed, now the problem is that we have different segments of Okada.
“There is a commercial purpose, which is our members, the private Okada, there is one that they use these days now for delivery. empowerment, the government has done some empowerment for teachers and there they have Okada."
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