The use of motorcycles also known as Okada for commercial purposes in Nigeria began in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State in the early 1970s. Documentary evidence also shows that Yola, the capital of Adamawa state was the first city in the north to use a motorcycle for commercial purposes. By the 1980s, the practice had spread to other major cities in Nigeria.
The surge was due to several factors such as the deterioration of the public transport system, the economic depression of the 1980s resulting in the sharp increase in the price of automobiles and the need for a cheap alternative, rapid rate of urbanisation, and the high rate of unemployment in the 80s due to government policies that led to the mass retrenchment of workers from the civil service. It was the majority of these retrenched workers that pioneered the Okada business in Nigeria.
The advantages motorcycles have over other forms of transport have also accounted for their use for commercial transportation. One of these is that Okada reaches areas where commercial vehicles may not reach due to bad roads. They are also faster and save time than other means of transportation. An Okada is capable of manoeuvring its way through traffic congestion and does not stop like commercial vehicles at bus stops to pick up passengers. This makes it a very fast means of transport. Beyond all these, it is cheaper to maintain a motorcycle than a taxi or bus.
Despite these advantages, motorcycles have been used with huge success by Boko Haram insurgents, Terrorists and Bandits to launch attacks and carry out mass kidnappings of citizens in exchange for ransom. These terrorists disappear into the forests on their motorbikes after attacks, leaving behind sorrow, tears and blood.
It was this realization that prompted the federal government through the attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami to consider a nationwide ban on Okada in Nigeria. Malami who spoke at the end of a security meeting said motorcycles provide the means of transportation and logistics for terrorists.
Though no official date has been fixed for the ban, the consideration by the government has generated mixed reactions from Nigerians while commercial motorcyclists and stakeholders have rejected the move.
A total ban on the use of motorcycles may have grievous consequences for a nation grappling severe economic crisis. The policy if implemented will lead to a rise in unemployment. According to a report from the Nigeria Economic Security Agenda (NESA), a ban will lead to 29 million job losses across the federation. Aside from direct operators who will lose their jobs, other stakeholders in the value chain such as motorcycle importers, sellers, spare part dealers and mechanics will lose their source of livelihood. This in turn will translate into an increase in crime, poverty and misery for the people. Citizens especially those in communities without access roads will also find it extremely difficult moving from one location to another hence resulting in a reduction in output and productivity.
Instead of pursuing a nationwide ban on the use of commercial motorcycles, the government should rather focus on the following:
1. Recruitment of more security personnel and procurement of more weapons: Available data indicates that Nigeria has less than 600,000 military and police personnel providing security for over 200 million people. This is grossly inadequate for a country battling insecurity from multiple fronts. The government must as a matter of policy begin the massive recruitment of able-bodied Nigerians into the military, police, civil defence, immigration and other security forces. This will help secure the nation better and ensure that criminals are smoked out of ungoverned spaces. The government must also equip security forces with more sophisticated weapons to be able to defeat the enemy. Soldiers in the frontline will be more audacious and effective if they have the right tools to work with.
2. Use of technology: The government must do more in the deployment and use of technology to fight crime in Nigeria. The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in collaboration with GSM network providers must devise a new strategy to track and fish out terrorists, bandits and kidnappers from their hideouts. The government through relevant agencies must also invest in the mass deployment of drones, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and other technological arsenal to flush out criminals from the country.
3. State Police: The current federal policing system is no longer efficient in today’s complex and diverse Nigeria. The constitution should be amended to allow states to have their police. This will give states the ability to adequately secure their domains and also ensure that those recruited are conversant with the terrain and way of life of the people they are policing.
4. Tackling corruption in the system: Insecurity has persisted in Nigeria because of the activities of corrupt security personnel who compromise the system for personal gains. Instances are bound of top security personnel diverting funds meant for the purchase of weapons and other military hardware at the expense of troops who are constantly killed by the enemy. Illegal arms and light weapons find their way into the country largely due to the compromise of some corrupt immigration personnel and airport officials who collect bribes and look the other way. Frantic effort must be made to ensure that the security forces are purged of all forms of corruption by punishing those found culpable to serve as a deterrent to others.
5. Deployment of Mercenaries: Borno state Governor, Babagana Zulum, the House of Representatives and security experts have repeatedly called on the government to consider the deployment of foreign mercenaries to help combat terrorists in the country. If the recent spike in attacks is anything to go by, the government must swallow its pride and seek military support from abroad in line with global best practices.
STANDPOINT:
It is a known fact that terrorists and bandits have deployed the use of motorbikes efficiently for their operations. But a total ban on Okada will affect the means of livelihood of millions of Nigerians who rely on the trade to earn a living and also increase the level of crime and criminality. The government must therefore focus on the aforementioned points to effectively combat all forms of insecurity in Nigeria.
