Who are okada riders? Okada riders are self employed transport workers who go about their business using motorcycles.
It has really become the strong point and also the only means of livelihood for most families in this country since the last eight years; their disbandment would cause chaos and instability in many families.
It is said that the Okada riders constitute nuisance in the society, this is based on the fact that they fill up parks, motorways, street corners and any available space they can find, making it difficult for vehicles to maneuver effectively.
Over years, the number accidents on our roads involving okada riders have really increased owing to the undisciplined nature and rascally behavior of the riders. Our orthopedic hospitals and other bone setting ventures are in constant business, thanks to okada riders.
Many have lost their lives, families bereaved owing to these menace.
Arm robbers and many street mongers use these okada as means of get away after robbing innocent citizens.
I want to ask the disbanding of okada in some of the major cities of the nation is it really the solution?
We should pay attention to the services provided by these okada operators. These okada operators will get you to your destination on time and at a reasonable cost during heavy traffic. They ply streets and walk ways which are not motor able to get you to your destination. They stand as an alternative means of transportation in the event of scarcity of buses or taxis.
Therefore the state governments who have out rightly suspended the okada riders should really take a closer look into the matter and take a lead from the Government of Lagos State who did not disband the okada rider, but restricted them to operate on streets and avoid the major roads and highways.
If this step is not taken these riders will be out of business, some of these riders are graduates who have been searching for employment and most of them being young and uneducated may turn to a life of crime while others may increase the number beggars and miscreants on our streets.
Despite the disadvantages of these okada operators there are also advantages; at the least let them remain in business.
