TERRORISM: BAN ON OKADA WILL CREATE TERRIBLE MONSTERS
••• MAY RENDER 40 MILLION JOBLESS

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The Almalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), on Monday raised the red flag on the proposed ban of commercial motorcycles throughout the country.

ACOMORAN, also warned that the idea would be counter-productive because according to them it would also throw 40 million Nigerians into the job market.

They adviced the Federal government to jettisoned the policy adding that it would create a worst monster in addition to terrorism.

Last week, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, announced that the National Security Council, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, had agreed that government might be forced to ban the use of motorcycles and Mining activities as the two businesses have the potential threat to security.

According to the statement, FG discovered that such businesses are major means of movement by bandits and source of amassing ransom from kidnap victims.

Malami added that those using motorcycles as means of transport were not up to 20 percent of the country’s population, stressing that if that percentage was made to “sacrifice” that such “sacrifice wasn’t too much and is worthy of being considered”.

But addressing a press conference on Monday, the National President of ACOMORAN, Samsudeen Apelogun, claimed that their membership base stands at 12 million nationwide, with six million persons adequately captured in the registration.

Apelogun appealed to the Federal government to drop the policy of banning the use of motorcycles nationwide, adding that it’s like trying to cure headaches by beheading the head.

“It will be counter productive on the long run.” He said.

He also warned of the economic and security implications, explaining that besides impoverishing millions of Nigerians, it would further compound the anti-social vices government is trying to contain.

The President of ACOMORAN equally added that the government lacked effective security architecture, and joined the call for the overhaul of their intelligence gathering mechanism, rather than creating another monster that would ultimately worsen the bad situation.

“Commuters see motorcycles as a relief to their transportation problems while motorcycle riders see their adventure as a source of livelihood. Without any doubt, the use of motorcycles has enhanced mobility for the middle and low income earners which by extension has contributed to an increase in production through an increase in man hours

“Let me put it on record that from experience, 95 percent of those you see riding motorcycles are doing it because they don’t have better options but they don’t want to take to crime

“If 10 million of these 40 million people they plan to render jobless take to crime, can the government contain them? If you attribute the movement of terrorists to motorcycles, don’t criminals operate with vehicles? When terrorists regrettably attacked Kuje prison, was it the motorcycle riders that caused the failure of intelligence gathering

“If they rode motorcycles there, how were they able to beat all the security checkpoints to get to such a fortified facility? Was it motorcycles that made it possible for them to overpower the security agents attached to the facility? Are motorcycles also responsible for the late re-enforcement.” Apelogun said.

According to Apelogun, government should at least use the remaining few monthsn into this tail end of its administration, “to concentrate on how to alleviate the agonies of the citizenry against this move that will further compound their pains.”

The ACOMORAN president, advicing the government on how to fight criminality, added;
“First, the government should revive the economy for businesses to thrive. Today, the naira exchanges at N630 to a US Dollar, and this deal a terrible blow to businesses.

“The epileptic natures of our power supply have grounded and many small-scale industries thereby making it difficult for artisans to operate. If a solution is found to power supply today, I am very confident that many of the youths who are involved in criminality will be gainfully emplpyed or engaged.

“In summary, if the government can provide a stable power supply, organize the Bank of Transportation to cater to the transportation sector, revive our economy, make naira exchange at a reasonable rate against the dollar and other foreign currencies.

“Let government provide infrastructure and an enabling environment for businesses and investors to thrive or ply their trades as well as provide security agencies, especially the police that is in change of the enforcement of law and order with the need tools and motivation to work and reduce the rate of criminality drastically to a minimal level.” He added.

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