For okada riders in Lagos, the Governor Fashola has drawn the battle line as he eventually ordered enforcement of the law, banning commercial motorcycle operators from plying major highways.
The Chairman of All Nigerians Auto Bike Commercial Owners and Workers' Association, (ANACOWA) Aliyu Wembe narrated the travails of okada riders since the law came into full force. He explained to Saturday Vanguard whey his group sought the services of renowned human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu to drag the Lagos State government to court.
Were you consulted before the bill was signed into law?
We were not consulted when the bill to ban commercial motorcyclists was in the works. But we decided to attend the public hearing when we heard of it. At the public hearing however, a 23-page-document was given to us as the proposed bill. After perusing through it, we eventually analysed it clause by clause.
We realised that some of the sections were conspicuously removed from the law, particularly Schedule 22 that is currently generating the crisis in Lagos which banned Okada from plying some roads in Lagos. I remember somebody asking at the floor of the public hearing where is the Schedule 22 mentioned? But he was asked to put down his observations in writing.
Political intrigues
So, when Governor Babatunde Fashola was to sign the bill into law, the Schedule 22 and others now emerged. What we later had as the law was a 78-page document as against the earlier 23-page document that was showed to us. The okada operators were not carried along.
The government failed
What the Lagos State government would have done was to distribute the complete document to all okada riders' Association in Lagos for scrutiny before the eventual endorsement of it into law
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