Commercial motorcyclists, popularly called ‘Okada’ riders, on Monday stormed Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, office of Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu.
The motocyclists in their thousands were at the Lagos state seat of government to express their grievances with the recent ban on Okada in some parts of the state.
They want the government to suspend the extended ban on their activities in six Local Government Areas, LGAs, scheduled to commence on September 1, 2022, on Thursday, precisely.
Recall that as part of the on-going phase out of motorcyclists operations in the state, Sanwo-Olu, had on August 18, 2022, announced total ban on activities of Okada riders in additional four Local Government Areas and their respective Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs of the state, commencing from September 1, 2022.
Recall that Sanwo-Olu had on May 18, 2022 announced the total ban on Okada operations in six LGAs, and the respective nine Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, under them including all major bridges and highways of the State and the subsequent inauguration of the Lagos State Anti-Okada Squad saddled with the responsibility to aid the police and taskforce to implement and enforce total compliance with respect to the law to curtail the unruly activities of the riders.
Sanwo-Olu had on May 10, 2021, reviewed the 2012 Lagos Traffic Law guiding the Okada operations, after his predecessors, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode’s administrations banned their activities.
The initial six LGAs and nine LCDAs are: Apapa, Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Ikeja, Ojodu, Onigbongbo, Lagos Island, Lagos Island West, Lagos Island East LCDAs, Lagos Mainland, Yaba LCDA, Surulere, Coker Aguda, Itire-Ikate LCDA.
Others include: Eti-Osa, Eti-Osa East, Eti-Osa West, Iru Victoria Island and Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA.
The additional four councils affected by the pronouncement, include: Kosofe, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu LCDAs, Oshodi-Isolo, Isolo, Ejigbo LCDAs, Shomolu, Bariga LCDA and Mushin, Odi-Olowo LCDA.
The protesting Okada riders were led by chairman of Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State, MOALS), Ramoni Eleniyan and few other union leaders.
As if press time, 3.30pm, the leadership of Okada association were in a emergency meeting with government officials led by Deputy Governor, Dr. obafemi Hsmzat to find an amicable resolution to the issue.