North East group condemns FG's planned motorcycle ban

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A youth group under the umbrella of the North-East Youth Transformation Forum on Sunday criticized the federal government's plan to ban commercial motorcycles known as "Achaba".

Achaba is a two-wheeled means of transport used for transporting commuters and goods due to its ability to move over difficult terrain.

Although Achaba had its advantages, criminal elements also used it to carry out heinous crimes in the region.

Recall that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, recently revealed that the federal government would consider banning commercial motorcycles nationwide as part of measures to address security challenges.

But the group, through its chairman, Comrade Abdulrazak Albani, decried the decision, pointing out that it would subject an estimated 98 million Nigerians to hardship.

According to him, of the country's 200 million people, more than 98 million of its population suffer from abject poverty and do not have vehicles of their own rating. Achaba's ban would make them even more vulnerable and miserable.

Albani revealed that in addition to making transportation difficult for poor citizens, the ruling would render commercial motorcyclists jobless and increase the crime rate in society.

He said, "The population of the country is now over 200 million and UNDP statistics reveal that people living below the poverty line in the country number 98 million, nearly the half of the population.These people cannot afford three meals a day let alone own transport vehicles.

“Thus, the ban on motorcycling will aggravate their problems and put many people out of work.

"We therefore call on our senators, members of the House of Representatives, governors, traditional and religious leaders to persuade the federal government to abandon this decision."