THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS AND DESERVE THE RIGHTS TO LIVELIHOOD!!
Text of the Press Conference by
Joint Action Front (JAF) held at CCG, Lagos, Thursday, November 15th
2012
We welcome our dear media compatriots to this press conference aimed at
two issues:
1.
The
anti-poor policy of the Lagos State Government in banning the Okada operators
and the ongoing extra-judicial brutality unleashed on the Okada operators and
the destruction of their motorcycles;
2.
The State of
the Nation and the way forward.
1.
The
Anti-Poor Policy of Lagos Government in Banning Okadas
The Joint
Action Front has deemed it necessary to draw the attention of Lagosians,
Nigerians and international public to the obnoxious New Traffic Law enacted by
the Lagos State Government and its attendant excesses and escalating gross
violation of human rights of Okada riders and commuters in Lagos State, which
should never be permitted in any democratic society; and the need to urge
Lagosians, Nigerians and patriots all over the world to RESIST this unjust law,
because of its disastrous consequences on the socio-economic life and security
of life and property in Lagos and Nigeria in the no distant future.
1.1
The Ban on
Okada Operations in 475 Roads by the Anti-Poor Lagos State Government: The
Facts the PUBLIC Must know
·
JAF wishes
to state that Governor Fashola anti-poor policy measures had never been in
doubt except that Lagosians have allowed themselves to be taken for a ride for
too long. As is in the instance of the Okada riders, the Fashola’s
administration had to put its plan to deal with the Okada riders and their
families on hold, simply because he needed their votes in 2011 for a second
term, which they obliged him. We recall then, that Governor Fashola distributed
free helmets and jackets to Okada riders and deceptively told them that Lagos
would not ban Okada operations.
·
First, we in
JAF recognise that there are safety issues involved in defining regulations on
the use of roads and infrastructure, and most especially on plying the
highways. The central issue of contention in the New Lagos Traffic Law was the
fraudulent listing of the 475 inner roads in Schedule II (which was not
presented as part of the Traffic Bill during the Public Hearing), but was
fraudulently appended as part of the new Lagos Traffic Law as passed by the
Lagos State House of Assembly and signed into law by Lagos State Governor
Babatunde Fashola.
·
Second, the
need for regulations on roads and infrastructures as it affects all vehicular
traffic and commuters should not an excuse for punitively denying the Okada
operators access to earning their means of livelihood.
·
Third, the
475 listed roads are inner routes that actually connect the other unlisted
routes and majority of them don’t have alternatives to the use of Okada because
state and private buses don’t ply those routes and taxis are not affordable.
For example, the Ogba industrial area such as Acme, WEPCO, Akilo, Guinness,
etc.
·
Fourth,
banning Okada on the 475 roads is not simply about the survival of the Okada
operators, it also has serious effect on millions of Lagosian commuters. And
since the so-called ban order, Lagosian commuters have been going through daily
agonies because of the shortage of the yellow buses, unaffordable taxis and
state buses. This clearly bears testimony to why Lagosian commuters board Okadas
despite the risks.
·
But what has
Governor Fashola done now? He not only ensured that he denied Okada riders
their means of livelihood, but equally asked all those who cannot obey his
anti-poor laws and policies to leave Lagos. Could Fashola and the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) ban Okada from the 475 roads in an election year? NO.
This is the time to REJECT and RESIST this deceptive and anti-poor LASG!
1.2
The
Brutality of the Okada operators and Extra-Judicial Excesses of LASG
·
In the guise
of enforcement of the new Lagos State Traffic Law on Okada operations in the
475 roads, Okada operators and those with private motorcycles have been subject
of various forms of extra-judicial brutality. We have reports of extra-judicial
brutality across the State on anyone (exception uniformed personnel) sighted on
motorcycles. There are such widely media reported cases in the past two weeks,
of an Okada rider stripped naked in Akoka and another Okada rider killed at
Ilupeju Byepass, Mushin area, who was reported shot in the chest by the police
and died hours later.
·
Why should
the Lagos State Government (LASG) resort to the rule of force when there is a
rule of law?
·
Why should
Governor Fashola call on the GOC 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Kenneth
Minimah that the army should join in brutalising the Okada riders in the guise
of implementing an unjust law?
·
The LASG
should stand condemned for this act of executive lawlessness and human rights
violations being perpetrated by its Task Force, the police, KAI and LASTMA
officials
1.3
Why Do
Commuters Patronise Okadas despite the Risk?
·
One of the
reasons why Lagosian commuters patronise Okadas is the horrible state of the
roads especially in the heavily populated areas like Alimoso, Agege, Ifako
Ijaye, Ikorodu, Amuwo Odofin, Ajegunle, Orile, Amukoko, etc.
·
Why do
people patronise Okada despite the risks? Taxis in Lagos are unaffordable and
unlike FCT Abuja and Port Harcourt and other major cities in Nigeria where
taxis charge as low as N50 – N300 per drop, in Lagos, the minimum charge per
drop is not less than N600. As a matter of fact, Lagos taxis are three times
more expensive, which makes it unaffordable for a worker on a Minimum Wage of N18,000
per month.
·
The Okada
issue has revealed the inadequacy of the state public transportation system –
the lack of mass transit. With over a million Okadas carrying an average of 10
passengers per Okada per day, it means that the Okadas in Lagos service an
average of 10 million commuters per day.
1.4
Why we are
opposed to the Anti-Poor Policy of LASG on Okadas?
·
The banning
of Okada operations on the 475 roads is unjust and contrary to the spirit and
letter of Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution that Government shall operate the
economy in such ways that wealth is not concentrated in few hands at the
expense of the majority and also to protect the right of every citizen to
engage in any economic activities.
·
The purported
recognition by Lagos State of two (2) Okada groups for patronage, politically
motivated purposes and as agents-provocateur to curtail the rights of other
Okada groups is contrary to Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria on
Freedom of Association and Assembly.
·
As to the
question of why is JAF opposing the ban on Okada in Lagos and not in FCT and
PH? JAF wishes to state that it is opposed to the banning of Okadas anywhere
in Nigeria as long as the state abdicates its responsibility to the citizenry.
We are committed to urging Nigerians any where they are to RESIST any
exploitative and oppressive policies targeted at their survival, and security
of life and property.
·
However, we
should state clearly that the Lagos situation is different from Abuja and PH in
several ways. First, the Abuja metropolitan roads are wide and well paved and
there is negligible need for Okada because the buses are cheap and taxis are
available at N200 – N400 on routes that will cost three times more in Lagos.
Also, to note is that the rich lives in the metropolis of Abuja and not the
poor. But Okadas ply the inner routes of the outer settlements where most
residents of Abuja live, and as such there are Okadas everywhere in Gwagwalada,
Nyanyan, Karu, Mpape, Dutse, etc.
·
Mr. Kayode
Opeifa, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transport was reported to have
admitted that over 450,000 Okada riders purchased the Riders permit from his
office. If that is correct, therefore, the issue should not be banning Okada
operations in those 475 roads in places where their services are mostly
required, but getting Okadas without permits to comply with Safety regulations,
while defaulters should be duly arrested and prosecuted in accordance with law
on safety and standards protection.
·
Despite the
ban, why do stranded commuters still risk taking Okadas and why do some of the
Okada operators defy the ban order. It is simply because those operators have
to survive. The commuters also need to get to work and back home. The
alternative to what the Okada operators are doing now is to force some of them
into armed robbery and other acts of extortionist violence; which any
responsible government should not allow to happen.
1.5
The Lagos
Government’s Lies and Deception on Alternatives to Okadas
·
The Lagos
State Commissioner for Transport – Mr. Kayode Opeifa has been playing to the
gallery on the question of alternatives. He has been widely reported by the
media that the LASG has trade centres and agric opportunities as the
alternatives to take care of the over million Okada riders affected by the ban
order on the 475 roads.
·
Let it be
stated clearly that Okada operators do not need the trade centres because more
than 80% of them are skilled artisans and graduates who as a result of growing
unemployment, lack of job opportunities and infrastructure deficiency such as
electricity to function in their chosen trades, have been compelled into the
Okada transport, which is now servicing more than 10 million Lagosians per day.
·
If we may
ask: how many jobs has the Agric-YES of the Lagos State Government benefitted?
600 or so unemployed in 4 years and what is even the fate of those 600
beneficiaries at present? How many has the so-called trade centres benefitted?
·
Government
(not just Lagos State) over the years has reneged in its responsibility for job
creation and employment opportunities; hence some of the unemployed resort to
providing services through Okadas.
1.6
Our Demands
We in JAF
demand:
·
That the
Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police and the President Goodluck
Jonathan as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces should call to order
immediately all armed personnel being used to brutalise hapless citizens in the
name of a jungle law being enforced by the LASG.
·
The
abrogation of the obnoxious new Lagos Traffic law.
·
The return
of all the unjustly confiscated motorcycles because there was no judicial
pronouncement on such acts of lawlessness.
·
Immediate
End to arbitrary arrests, shooting and extra judicial
killings of violators of traffic laws by the Police, Army and LASG officials
and agents.
·
Full
compensation to the individuals, families and dependants of all victims of the
current repression and extra judicial excesses on the account of the obnoxious
and inhuman traffic law.
·
That the
National Human Rights Commission should investigate the ongoing extra-judicial
excesses being perpetrated by the LASG and bring to justice all those found
culpable.
·
And urge
Lagosians and Nigerians to be prepared for MASS RESISTANCE against the
repressive policies of the Lagos State Government.
2.
The State of
the Nation and the way forward.
SYSTEM
CHANGE REMAINS OUR GOAL!
·
We STAND by
SYSTEM CHANGE, which means:
“Nigeria
is rich. The wealth belongs to the people. Most Nigerians are hungry, have no
jobs, no education, no healthcare, no potable water, no electricity supply and
no affordable transportation. Most cannot feed their families or educate their
children. Those who are lucky to have jobs are not much different. They also
cannot afford a decent living for their families. On the other hand, there is a
very tiny group of Nigerians who have cornered the wealth that belong to the
working people and the poor, who are in the majority. They loot the treasury
and use their stolen wealth to sustain themselves in power through their
political parties. They use their power to get richer and richer when the poor
get poorer and poorer. This is the system of exploitation and oppression. It is
the system that brings out the army and the police to kill poor people when
they protest against oppression and exploitation.
We want to
change that system and replace it with a system where the working people and
the millions of people who are sufferings under the system of exploitation will
win power and ensure that the wealth of Nigeria is used to ensure a good life for
the majority of the people who are now exploited and oppressed. System change
is not replacing one exploiter’s government by another exploiter’s government.
It is replacing an exploiter’s government by a people’s government to
reorganise Nigeria and put an end to exploitation and oppression”.
FORWARD
EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!
Dr.
Oladipo
Fashina Comrade Abiodun
Aremu
JAF
Chairperson
JAF Secretary
