Stakeholders Plan Nationwide Protest Over Growing Okada Ban

THE chairman of Nnewi Importers Association, Pastor Longinus Chukwuma, has decried what he described as “creation of unemployment through okada ban in the federation,” describing the policy as counter productive and injustice to the low-income group.
Chukwuma told journalists that it was apparent that different levels of government have lost sight of the vicious circle of social maladies the ban has been throwing up.
He noted that it was insensitive for the governments to ignore the plight of thousands of okada riders and their dependants who had been thrown into untold hardship as a result.
He said, “how can you fight crime with unemployment because when thousands of okada riders are thrown out of business without an alternative means of livelihood, how then do you expect crime to reduce.
“By that action you have not just banned okada riders, you have put thousands of motorcycle mechanics out of job, dealers in motorcycles out of business and these people affected have chains of dependants they take care of.  What do you think will be the result of it?  In fact, this is economic Boko Haram, to say the least,” Pastor Chukwuma said.