Officials of the state Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit on Tuesday dismantled the okadas at the task force yard in Alausa.
The Taskforce Chairman,
Bayo Sulaiman, an Assistant Superintent of Police, said after the end of
the dismantling exercise, the iron parts would be taken to the state
Crushing Plant in Oshodi, where they would be crushed and recycled.
He said the action was
to show that the government had stepped up its enforcement of the state
traffic law, adding that the crushing of the okadas would serve as deterrent to other commercial motorcycle operators.
Sulaiman said, “These are okadas impounded since the new traffic law was signed into law. There are 3, 000 of them. Okada riders
must obey our traffic law. They are fond of driving against traffic, on
kerbs and several unauthorised places. The law has been passed and
gazetted and there is no going back on its enforcement.
“We are dismantling the okadas
now to separate the parts that are crushable from the ones that are not
crushable. After this, we will take the crushable parts to Oshodi
crushing plant, where they will be crushed and recycled. The
non-crushable parts will probably be auctioned, but not in the state.
“The Taskforce has not
started enforcing the law fully. But this should serve as a warning to
them because we won’t hesitate to impound any okada caught on the restricted roads in the state.”
Sulaiman, however, said there were no riders to be prosecuted because the owners of the 3, 000 okadas abandoned them on sighting law enforcement officials.
On Monday’s protest by
some of the riders, Sulaiman said, “They have the right to protest, but
the government will be firm in what it does. It does not in any way stop
our job, those who intend not to obey the law, we are coming after
them. The protest is a group action, but our arrests will be one after
the other and we will be out there on a daily basis.”
According to him, the law has been passed and those who will not obey the law will be punished.
The task force boss, however, said the
law’s compliance level was improving on a daily basis. He advised the
riders to go to areas where their operations are not restricted.
Source: Punch
Every law affects the common man. okada makes it easy for people without cars to get to certain destinations easily rather than trek and wear out the soles of their shoes.
ReplyDeleteoh well, it is wat it is. i feel for those whose 'okada' was impounded cos i know its their means of livelihood.
the law!
This is what I like to call necessary-evil! It might look like Fashola is a horrible monster for taking away their livelihood, but believe you me, Okadas are like a legion of ants from a massive ant-hole that insecticide alone, cannot eradicate!
ReplyDeleteraising more thieves...
ReplyDeletestupid govt.
fashola is taking people way of livelihood but not creating jobs at the same time....... isnt that a recipe for disaster. How many jobs have been created in Lagos state ????
ReplyDeletenow i will say lagos state govt is overdoing dis! y nt punish them dan destroying there okadas? dis is only going to inflict more suffering, and den joblesness, seizing the okadas is right! destroying them is very wrong!
ReplyDeleteWhy?
ReplyDeletehttp://africansweetheart.blogspot.co.uk/
I like ur blog but stop coming here to put up one-word-comments abeg. Say something reasonable, put ur link nd move on. Or kukuma post only the link :|
DeleteBy the way, now we have more jobless people in lagos
Lord knows you need another driver's license and know how on how to drive with those lawless okada drivers. I have to take other car road users into consideration and now, these guys. They NEVER obey the traffic laws, run red lights,ride in the middle of the roads, overtakes like they are on a race track and abuse you also. The daft and Yaba Orthopedic patients in waiting, also heap abuses and curses on one. I support it 100 percent., please ban them and make driving sane and reinstate sanity. Some don't even know the basic driving rule, can't read road signs etc.
ReplyDeleteI still do not understand what has become of simple common sense.
ReplyDeleteHow can you destroy 3000okadas, ostensibly because their riders 'ran' away?
What sense is there in this?
This is like some comedy. A very bad one.
All you have to do, is auction the motorbikes.
For Gid's sake are these people 5year olds?
Won't five year olds even have deeper wisdom than this?
Does position of power drive the black psyche crazy?
What is going on?
did u just say 3000? dis is unfair 2 d pple wu dre okadas wr seized. Hw we no go ve more Boko haram n arm robbers, govt dint provide d job n dey r seizing dre only fin dah brings fud 2 dre table
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't seem as if ACN wants to come back to rule lagos state. Keep annoying the masses. Well done *milo clap*
ReplyDeleteDis ppl are kiddin me mehn.. C'mon! Ur putin ppl owta work! Dis ppl!
ReplyDeleteChange is not always welcomed. It may hurt sm persons but if u look at the bigger picture i think fashola is doing a good job
ReplyDeleteSo let me get this str8, 3,000 folks are out of something to do because of this law, hence thievery and other things may be on the rise? I applaud the governor for making big changes, but usually when you take away A, you provide option B, C, D for the masses. sigh. Naija we hail thee.
ReplyDeleteTank God rules are being implemented. Bcos nigerians like shortcuts 2 much ȋ̝̊̅ڪ one ☀̤̣̈̇f d reasons we r still backward. D ppl τнατ r complainin abt d rules shud go abroad Α̲̅ή∂ c wat droppin A̷̷̴̐͠ piece ☀̤̣̈̇f paper on d highway can do τ̅☺ U̶̲̥̅̊.
ReplyDeleteIf U̶̲̥̅̊ r A̷̷̴̐͠ nigerian,U̶̲̥̅̊'ve got 2 visit Ʈђi§ blog
naijamustchange.blogspot.com
this is a good start
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that the Lagos state government is enforcing it's laws BUT
ReplyDeleteI personally think a fine would have been better. The traffic offenders will now have to find a new way of life which will definitely be painful and exhausting. A fine heavy fine should do the trick not stripping them of their lively-hood
for wetin now...people dnt have moni like tht..some get there daily income from riding okada...if u destroy okada are you trying to increase the numbers of crime in the state and also this fashola self na evil person...we voted for an evil man and heartless person...if okada is a source of crime..how about politics..the politician taking our billions and all they do is take them to court and from court they end the case on nothing mocking us telling us that we cant do anything...rubish....NO MORE ACN....
ReplyDeleteWhy is Fashola not the president of Nigeria? He is tackling things one by one and he isn't even making noiise about it. Its not a matter of 'I will...' Or 'by the end of...this will happen'. He just does them. Yes,it mighjt seem inconvenient now but by the time he is through with Lagos,the people will understand and appreciate his effort. When dealing with us Nigerians now,no mercy should be shown cos mercy is shown to only humans. The whole country needs total cleansing and Fashola has started in a part. May God Give Us More Fasholas to cleanse the remaining parts In Jesus Name o,Amen!
ReplyDeleteWell said
Deletethis is the down falls of lagos state governor,,,,how can him destroyed the roots of his destinys??i think he should never spend any of his money in next eletion,,becos he must loose,,,from swiss,,,destroying the roots of ur destinys,,means what u wish ur self,,from swiss again,,i work with internal comminities
ReplyDeleteFashola tank u for destroying people`s means of livelihood and increasing armed Robbery...such wickedness
ReplyDeleteThe high handedness of the lagos state govt is becoming sth else. Why crush d okadas? Why not let them pay the fine and carry their property?
ReplyDeleteThis is a good development but the govt. shld not fail to put up palliatives to the affectd pple if dey truly aim at creatin a peaceful nd crime free society.
ReplyDeleteThat shows they are really serious.What lagos really needs is a conducive mass transit system like trains where anybody of any class can take. Okada has never been a good means of transport but necessary due to heavy traffic in lagos. They should just try and obey the laws.
ReplyDeleteDummy act again! Destroy the okadas? Are they not sellable or can't they be recycled? In a an economy as messy as ours we still dey waste money. Mr Gov., please wake up!
ReplyDeleteThey shld do same in Edo State.....
ReplyDeleteWow! Fashola ain't playing mehhnn.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bloody fucking waste.
ReplyDeleteI commend Fashola and the Lagos State Government cos they are obviously prepared to make the tough, unpopular calls.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed by some of the comments here, chastizing LASG. Everyday we complain about the recklessness of these okada riders. Recklessness which has led to thousands of deaths, injuries and probably billions in incurred bills and now that the LASG is trying to restore some order we unfairly criticize them!
Nigerians sha....smh
This rather harsh action from the Lagos State Goverment
ReplyDeletenaijaopenmouth.com
Each Okada cost around 100k multiply that by 3000, you get 300Million, 300 fucking Million. Counter Productive and Economic Sabotage of the first order.
ReplyDeleteI'd a bike accident almost 15years ago,the bike guy fled the scene and I was unable to walk for months after the accident. A lot of the cyclists r inexperienced and they create a menace on Lagos roads. They just seem to appear from nowhere. I commend the Lagos state govt fr this abeg, at least there will be fewer patients at the orthopaedic hospital.
ReplyDeleteNo matter the traffic offence they committed, destroying their bykes is at the EXTREME; instead they should have been fined. So is Gov. Fashola saying that impounded cars/buses/lorries due to traffic offences would also be destroyed? WASTE OF RESOURCES in a city/country where so many are in lack and want. God have mercy on our generation, AMEN.
ReplyDeleteYes oh @maximus my thots exactly "necessary evil". But the blind and ignorant won't see the benefit of this. Okada is a menace to the society and they need to be ousted!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFasola has done nufin wrong. Its for our own good. I wish u Know how many lifes have been lost from this okada people. If those former okada men want to rob de should go ahead now and see how the fuck dem up.
ReplyDeletei shed tears asin does fashola know how much an okada cost? smh make dem no swear for this man ohhh i pity him his own is getting too much
ReplyDeleteTo akll of you sayin g he is destroying people means of livelihood,you need to go back and re-read this post. The okadas were destroyed because the owners did not come to claim them. Not that if u go against traffic laws your okada will be destroyed.
ReplyDeleteAlso the government cannot sell the okada's because that is just wrong. How will they seize your car and then sell it...please use your initiative before you talk and stop thinking like a thief
@ Overcomer Idemudia ermmmm, that is exactly what they're doping, recycling the okadas....are u short sighted?
ReplyDeleteThere are no okadas in london yet the people there are not complaining of walking from one place to another these bikes where not just seized for nothing but braking the law people please lets not base this on wickedness but proper way of correction we need iron hands in this country.
ReplyDeleteThis government is just so senseless. Agreed Okada can be an unnecessary nuisance but why destroy the okadas, why not fine them or spend time educating them on the importance of riding carefully. Have free compulsory courses for Okada riders and educate them. In a country where there are no jobs, Lagos state is taking away people livelihood without creating new jobs, how does that make sense. How many jobs have been created in Lagos state?. … Isnt that a future recipe for disaster, indirectly adding more criminals on the streets of Lagos. Fashola is really out of touch on the reality and hardship that is on ground and it’s a pity.
ReplyDeleteThey should obey the f*king laws, they are the cause of the most accidents in Lagos. Good job fashola
ReplyDeletethis is rubish and senseless..you ddn't create jobs..you are destroying jobs...what is he planning to do...to increase crime rate or to enrich himself more....the toll gate on the island is owned by he's godfather why didn't he destroy that...all this politician self...anything that won't favour them they will destroy it...this fashola is an anti christ...destroying 3000 okadas...1 okada iis about 100,000k..i dnt blame him...he as billions in he's account...if he wasn't a lawyer or governor..he will be riding okada by now to feed and hep he's family...stupid man....senseless act....
ReplyDeletewhy will they pay 15,000 for law offences...how much do they make...this fashola government is just waste of time...we have bad roads...no jobs...all they focus on is okada asif okada is our problem.....
ReplyDeleteMost of this okada riders are hausa. Let them go back to the north! Shikena.
ReplyDeletei really commend the governement for doing this, a relative of mine had an encounter with this inexperienced riders some months back, despite the fact the fact that everybody has stopped for him to drive out of his residence , this aboki guy did not stop which led to the aboki rider and the passenger getting injured, it became a police case, that we had to cough out close to 150k for the matter to be settled "peacefully"> just because of someone stupidity
ReplyDeleteLol @ thinking like a thief.
ReplyDeleteLol @ thinking like a thief.
ReplyDeleteIf only the Law can be implemented in totality. ARE THE AREA BOYS STILL COLLECTING MONEY FROM BUSES and OCADAS on the Streets and Roads of Lagos?? Doesn't the Law forbid dat too? Has anyone of them been arrested. As much as dis is inline with the Law, What is good for the Goose is also good for the Gander. Either apply the Law fully Fashola or drop dis low level of Showboating!
ReplyDeleteI stand to be corrected, but i feel these okadas were not seized recently from the riders(lOOKING AT PICTURE POSTED). If anyone has been to FRSC in ojodu, there are okadas that have been abandoned there for ages. most of them before the fashola administration. For this exercise, i am sure these abandoned okadas were used= make believe.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if the ones recently seized will ever be returned to their rightful owners, but i am sure one way or the other, they will find their ways back to the streets of lagos and if lucky, the hands of the owners.
All the people saying Fashola is a moron and destroying peoples' lives by taking away their source of income should see the broader picture. MOST of these okadas are not road worthy to start with, uneducated and reckless drivers. If these bikes are not destroyed, they will pay a fine and be back immediately, committing the same offenses. Fashola does not have time for all these. They can go back to farming, working to beautify their states and why should okada riders, mostly those fingered in armed robbery cases? No sentiments please. It's becoming a problem driving in Lagos.
ReplyDeleteyou are putting people outta work and not creating jobs at all...what hv u done to tanker drivers and danfo drivers?nothing..so why shld u destroy okadas?its just doesnt make sense..
ReplyDelete..Thank God for abuja....am not worried!! Betwhy oga fashola!!!
ReplyDeleteBurning isn't the best option, lagos state gov't shld av been more deplomatic about it. How i wish Abuja residence could be made to obey traffic laws too. Not all about the Okadas.
ReplyDeleteIn d 1st place am sure the govt has anoda alternative for d okada riders..dey can't jus impose a law wivout a solution..fashola aint stupid aftall dis okada asso voted for him..so of course there is a strategy to it..fashola of cos doesn't want mre unemployed civilians..in imo state okada was banned n now dey v keke.I am in support of the ban on okadas in lagos. Esp d on d express roads ..if d govt wants to give dem a keke marwa so be it buh nt on d express roads only in strts n closes wich is beta..okadas riders cos a lot of havoc in our society..someone says dis wil cos mor pple to steal .oh well guess wat okada riders assist robbery to..so its nt a case of pple resultn to theft .its high time we start doing tins right . Aftal if I am unemployd today I wnt result to stealn would I? So I support dis change..NO OKADA we wil stil survive
ReplyDeleteThe whole point of these new traffic rules is not to take away people's livelihoods but rather to bring about sanity in a society that is fast losing it. If Okada riders adhere to simple traffic rules, their okadas will not be impounded in the first place. Also, if rules are broken, then offenders must be punished and okada riders cannot be exempt from this simple Rule of Law just because we are afraid that crime rates will increase. Those who exhibit total disrespect and disdain for laws will not hesitate to commit other crimes (if given the opportunity), regardless of whether or not their source of livelihood has been taken from them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do agree that Lagos State should make provision for alternate sources of income via the creation of new jobs.
Y'all saying more thieves n robbery,even with this so called okada, is that not what dis so called cruel heatless robbers are using to take Pple's lives and properties! 27th of march 2012, on my way back from work, 3 ugly lookn robbers came with a gun and took away my CRV jeep, and other valuables and they came on bike, same with a friend too, just at d allen bend leadn to opebi, in d afternoon, 2 men on a bike blocked her till one of dem enterd her car and took all dat she had and dropd her 3hrs later. So whether bikes or no bikes, dis robbers use okadas to steal from pple! GOD help nigeria and let's help ourselves too
ReplyDeleteNebokadnezar in power
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIf these were to be cars,will Lagos state govt burn them? Govt thinks that the bikes are not worth much but to those who own them those could be all they have worked for, in this life.Fine is still the best option Or if you don't want them in the state let them know .They can take their bikes to sate where okada riding is not prohibited.Fashola is wrong here .
No need to crush them, its not fair
ReplyDeleteWhat is the wickedness here..simple instruction, dont ride ur bike along restricted areas and dont go against traffic laws..fashola is definately ₫ strong hand nig needs for change he's got the blueprint for a better nigeria.@least we know someone is workin.
ReplyDeletethat was rubish,this will bring more arm robbers in the state.
ReplyDeletethis is not good at all,cos it will bring more robbers in the state so government have to do something about this before it is too late.
ReplyDeletethat was rubish,this will bring more arm robbers in the state.
ReplyDeleteAll 3,000 bikers ran on sighting law enforcement agents? Is somebody thinking what am thinking?
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