Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has stated that the decision to outlaw commercial motorbikes, known as “Okada” in the state, was not easy while running for reelection.
Last month, Sanwo-Olu imposed a statewide ban on Okada in six local government areas (LGAs), with the restriction taking effect on June 1. Ikeja, Surulere, Eti Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Apapa are among the wards affected by the restriction. Speaking at the first-ever non-oil exports summit in Lagos, organized by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in partnership with the Bankers’ committee, Sanwo-Olu was one of many speakers.
If we want to make doing business in our state and in our communities easier, we must keep developing laws and programs that help us do so,” he says. When we first announced our intention to prohibit the use of okada two weeks ago, no one expected it to become a reality. We were going to be able to do it. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support.
“However, I want to reassure you that the momentum we’ve seen so far will continue, and we’ll be able to eliminate that aspect of the problem in the city. Finally, okada may be removed from Lagos, and products and services can flow freely through the city without interruption.
“It’s not going to be simple,” she said. When you’re in the political arena, you’re always on the verge of bouncing up and down. People expect politicians to have political motivations for everything they say and do.
However, there are instances when staying true to one’s words and believing in the importance of what one says is the best course of action.