Lagos may face problems over okada, tricycle ban – Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi on Monday said the Lagos state government might face unemployment and an increase in crime following its ban of ‘Okada’ and tricycles in some parts of the State.

“He (Lagos State governor) has a problem to face,” Amaechi said on ChannelsTV’s Sunrise daily. “I am sure he must have addressed it in his mind before he took that decision that is unemployment and an increase in crime,”

“All those Okada riders and tricycle riders have provided for themselves a means of livelihood.

“If you ban it and there are no alternatives, the chances that some of them might go into crime.”

Amaechi, however, noted that as a former governor of Rivers State, he saw reasons why the State’s government made the decision.

“Speaking as a former Governor, when I was in Rivers State, they were using motorcycles to rob and kidnap people; and the police could never get them because they were using cars; so I banned motorcycles and we had peace,” Amaechi said.

“The number of accidents was also high – the orthopaedic hospital was full every day and they didn’t care.”

He said the government’s decision to ban Okada and tricycle was in the interests of “a majority of Lagosians.”

The minister said it is not the “responsibility” of the Federal Government to intervene in the Lagos state ban of Okada and tricycle in the state.

“So you can’t be telling a state whether they want Okada or tricycles or not,” Amaechi said.

“That’s not our responsibility.”

Many residents in the state are lamenting the decision of the Lagos State government to restrict motorcycles(Okada) and tricycle from plying major highways and some roads in six local government areas of the state.

Many said the government should have provided viable alternatives before the restriction came into effect on February 1.