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The Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in Lagos State has announced the ban of commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada operation in four additional Local Government Areas, LGAs, and six Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs.
Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, the commissioner for transportation disclosed this on Thursday, noting that the ban will take effect from 1st September 2022.
Among the affected LGAs are; Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, and Mushin, while the six LCDAs are Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Isolo, Bariga, Odi-Olowo and Ejigbo.
The Lagos State government asked the Nigeria Police Force, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other law enforcement formations within the state to form the “Anti-Okada Squad” that will enforce the implementation of the phase 2 ban.
Recall that the government had in June announced the ban of Okada operation in six local governments and nine LCDAs in the state.
This latest development brings to 10 out of the 20 local governments in the state where commercial motorcycles are banned from operating.
The commissioner said, “So, having critically assessed these resolutions and the challenges of Okada operations on the security architecture of the state recommended to Mr. Governor not to go back on the already laid down phase ban in a bid to sustain the gains, the state government has received empirical reports from the Ministry of Health, Lagos State Health Service Commission and the Lagos State Police Command on the accident and crime rates in order to analyse the impact of the ban on safety and security before and during the ban within the affected areas of the state.”
He said data gathered showed that there were 387 accidents; February, 375; March, 551; April, 409; May, 416; and June, 289.
However, there was a significant reduction in the number of accidents in July, just four months after the partial ban declared by the state government.
Oladeinde added: “The data shows that the operation has significant gains and compliance rate in the concerned areas as available records show that crime and accident rate has reduced astronomically by 86% and 63.7% respectively within the period under review and a total of 7,500 motorcycles have been impounded and crushed accordingly, hence, the need to sustain this achievement.
“Based on the apparent positive impact of the ban and the resolution of the stakeholders’ forum, Mr. Governor has approved the ban of Okada in another four LGs and their respective five LCDAs for the second phase of the total ban, in addition to the on-going ban in the six (6) LGs and their respective LCDAs.
“This decision is to further consolidate on the achievements made so far with particular reference to decline in accident and crime rates, as well as to continue to bring sanity to our communities within the state.”
Source: Thisday