Dear Mr Governor,
It’s a great honour to write you this letter and I must commend your transformational leadership and unwavering commitment and determination to bring the Greater Lagos vision to reality. As the CSO of Lagos, you must take responsibility for the success and the same goes for the failures of the State, hence, the reason for this letter.
Sir, your idea and vision to tackle insecurity in the State have been lauded by Lagosians who believe there is a need to revamp the ailing system that accommodates excesses that should no longer see the light of the day. Of course, security is a sine qua non to our continued existence as residents of this mega city and we must embrace every policy aimed at protecting the livelihood of the citizenry.
Your administration in a bid to curb the menace of Okada riders in the State placed a ban on the operations of commercial motorcyclists in six (6) Local Government Areas of the State in June, and by extension added four (4) more Local Councils on Thursday, August 18, as you rightly put: “in the best interest of residents and for security reasons”. For some, this is a welcome development while others are of a contrary opinion due to reasons best known to them.
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Your Excellency, it is true and logically right to say you are solely responsible for the decisions you take over time, and as citizens, we can only agree or disagree with them. However, it is pertinent as a concerned citizen to call your attention to some of these fundamental questions that ought to be answered before considering a total ban on the operations of these riders who more often than not took to the job following the failures of the government to provide them alternative means of livelihood. The questions are as follows:
How sustainable or effective will the ban be?
What alternative provision is it making to ameliorate the expected suffering of commuters who live in places where there is no access to commercial vehicles?
What will happen to the large army of Okada riders displaced?
Is the government going to provide alternative means of livelihoods for the displaced riders?
What mechanisms are in place to counter the challenges that this ban may pose?
Sir, it will be essential for every Lagosian to have answers to the aforementioned if the policy will be considered truly “in their best interest” and not seen as “anti-people”. You must rejig your policies to accommodate some or probably all of these concerns raised, especially at this dire time when Nigeria is experiencing an economic downturn coupled with the myriad challenges bedevilling the country.
Going forward, the government must be ready to double its effort in the transportation sector as this is integral to the success of any administration in Lagos. Transportation should be prioritised so the citizens will feel the impact positively and not vice-versa. Sir, what are your plans to revitalise the rail means of transportation that have been neglected over the years? Don’t you think it is high time Lagosians had a multi-faceted transport system that is visible and sustainable? There is a need to consider all of these foxes that seem as impediments to the Greater Lagos vision that you’re aiming at. Eko o ni baje!
- Arogbonlo Israel is a good governance advocate and can be reached via gemid931@gmail.com