cashing in on the okada ban in lagos

7/27/2019 Cashing in on the Okada Ban in Lagos

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TBCH: CASHING IN ON THE OKADARESTRICTIONOn August the 2nd, 2012, the Lagos State Government,

signed into law, the restriction of okadas on 475 roads,specifically, bridges, expressways and double-carriageroads in different parts of the state.

But the action started on Monday, October 22, 2012,when it started the implementation of its new traffic law,banning commercial motorcycle operations on 475designated roads out of the 9, 100 that make up theLagos metropolis.

Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Honourable.Kayode Opeifa, announced that okada operators arerestricted routes such as: Lagos Island, Victoria Islandand Ikoyi, the Lagos Central Business District Area,

Ozumba Mbadiwe from Bonny Camp to 1st Roundabout,Awolowo Road, Bourdillion, Gerrard Avenue, Alexander,Osbourne, Alfred Rewane Road and CMS, Funso WilliamsAvenue, Eko Bridge, Apongbon, Murtala Muhammed Way,

Jibowu, Yaba, Oyingbo, Iddo and Idumota Ikorodu ExpressRoad and Ikorodu Town Roundabout.

Also for the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway/Agege MotorRoad, the entire stretch from Moshalasi, Oshodi, AbuleEgba up to Sango Toll-gate, a boundary between Lagosand Ogun States, Okada business is prohibited forcommercial activities.


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The honourable commissioner added that all bridges inthe state are prohibited to motorcycle operators as wellas the entire stretch of Badagry Express Road. The entire

stretch of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway is also prohibitedexcept for the service lanes.

At Ikeja, the entire networks of roads around the LagosState Secretariat, Alausa, Awolowo Way, Mobolaji BankAnthony Way up to Maryland Junction have beendesignated as no-go areas for Okada riders.

Additional routes added to restricted areas include;Herbert Macaulay Way, Nurudeen Olowopopo Road,Agidingbi Road, Adeola Odeku, Ajose Adeogun, AkinAdesola, Adetokunbo Ademola and Kofo Abayomi.

Others are Inner Marina, Allen Avenue, Opebi, KudiratAbiola Way, Adekunle Fajuyi, Oduduwa Way, ObaAkinjobi, Isaac John, Joel Ogunnaike, Mobolaji Johnson

Way and Adeniran Ogunsanya.Of course there was an uproar! Many Lagosians werealready accustomed to travelling by okada, either bynecessity or by choice. But at the end of the day, BoboRaji-my nickname for the Lagos state governor- becausehes such a bloke-anyway, his will prevailed and Okadaswent bye bye.

Well at least Bye Bye from major business hubs in thestate to the hinterland, so to speak. From brisk businessto well, not so brisk takings. But life goes on, right and if Nigerians have one enduring characteristic, its theirresilience. Besides the Lagos state government did report


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very smugly later on that the restriction had significantlyreduced the number of casualties admitted to the Okadaward at Igbobi Hospital, so good one there.

So at this point, we should all live happily ever afterright? Wrong. Ladies and gentlemen, some people haveallegedly decided: Hey, we can make a killing milkingthese chap and have gone ahead to do so. Weve hadreports from a number of Okada Riders detailingharassment and extortion by the MIBs-You know, thePolice men, Local government officials and touts, as a

result of this restrictions.According to them, staying on the allowed routes doesntsave them from being roughed-up and swindled by theaforementioned on a daily basis.

Here are some of the Okada Riders from a number of areas in the metropolis who spoke with us. I should warn

you that a number of the riders spoke in Yoruba. Butworry not, your Yoruba encyclopedia-thats me, incaseyoure wondering-is here to provide impeccableinterpretational services. Do take a listen:

Now weve tried to contact the authorities in question fortheir reaction to the whole new entrepreneurship drive of some of their staff and were yet to receive a response.

But we want the parties in question to know that our earsare always ready to hear their side to this development.Infact, well shay won la lejo-thats welcome them withcold water, because most of us here are on a diet. Sowhat say you?


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cashing in on the okada ban in lagos

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