By Lukman Olabiyi
Stakeholders in Lagos State, yesterday resolved that the state government should go ahead to enforce a total ban on the operations of commercial motorcyclist, popularly called Okada, in the state.
The stakeholders which  includes traditional rulers, religious leaders, Community Development Associations, among others resolved and  called on state government to ban  Okada riders across the state in order curb the security threats its continuous usage pose to the residents .
It would be recalled that sometime on May 18, 2022, Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, imposed a fresh ban on the operations in in six Local Government ,( LGs) and nine Local Council Development Areas (LCDA)to curtail the unruly activities of the riders following several complaints over the growing menace and nuisance constituted by Okada riders in the state.
The stakeholders in a communique issued at the end of a forum tagged, ‘’Okada Ban What Next’’ organized by the state Ministry of Information and Strategy and Ministry of Transportation, held in Lagos resolved that,’’ The enforcement of the ban on Okada should be sustained to ensure that the gains of the ban are not reversed. The pockets of riders still found operating on forbidden routes, especially highways, should bearrest and made to face the consequences of their actions.
‘’The military and the police should sustain their partnership with the State Government to ensure that their officers stop flouting the ban in the specified Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.
‘’The Lagos State Government should enforce a total ban on Okada to further improve safety and security in Lagos.’’
The stakeholders insisted that any Okada rider found flouting the law and attacking law enforcement officers , agencies should be prosecuted and made to face the full wrath of the law.
They added that,’’ Cutting edge technology (street lights, CCTV, drones) be deployed to monitor traffic incidents and enhance security across the state.
‘’That community, traditional and religious leaders should be more involved in intelligence gathering and security of their domain across the state.’’
Reeling out statistics of records from the enforcement of the ban placed on the operations in six LGAs in June, the State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Fredrick Oladeinde, disclosed that the anti-Okada operation in the last two months, revealed crime and accident rates in the areas concerned within the period, reduced “astronomically by 86percent and 63.7percent respectively.”, as a total of 7,500 motorcycles were impounded and crushed accordingly.”
He said, “On average monthly, we used to record about 300-400 crashes and that has gone own to about 176 in June and July and it continues to go down, and that shows that with the ban on Okada,  we are beginning to save lives, especially of the young people who are maimed in the process.
“It is important that we preserve the lives of our youths because they are the leaders of tomorrow and it’s important that people feel  secured in our State,” Oladeinde said.
In his submission, Environment Expert, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, said the Okada menace has destroyed economic and labour fabrics in the State, as more young people who should have been engaged in crafts and agro-businesses, among other productive endeavours, have settled for operating Okada.
He called for increased development on infrastructure on other transportation system such as rail and waterways;  welfare, equipping and empowering security agencies to boost their morales; improvement on bad road corridors by “removing all contraventions and impediments illegally operating along the established right of ways.”
Speaking, the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the stakeholders’ meeting was significant to get feedback from Lagosians for inclusive government which the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration stands to uphold.
He said beyond the dangers of accidents associated with Okada, the security threats and implications associated with it have placed demands on the State Government to take decisive actions.