By Olawale Abdul-Fatah
In a bid to restore sanity on Lagos roads, the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that a major pronouncement that will determine fate of commercial motorcycle operators popularly called Okada riders and commercial tricycle operators also known as Keke-Marwa may be announced tomorrow.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the decision to regulate their activities became necessary considering the flagrant violation of the traffic law by the operators.
The governor noted that the pronouncement could have come before now but any decision that must determine their fate required wholistic assessment from both the executive and security operatives in Lagos.
He disclosed the plans on Monday during an interview with a panel of journalists held on a popular television programme, anchored by Ayodele Ozungbakun.
Sanwo-Olu, who gave the hint when one of the journalists, Babajide Otitoju, inquired what was Lagos State government plan to tackle Okada and Keke menace, stressed that his administration has been reviewing their activities since assumption of office.
According to him, I want to tell you that work is ongoing to address their issue. and tomorrow, we will make a major pronouncement that will possibly determine their fate.
“The decision will be announced after our monthly security meeting tomorrow. This is an important issue that require not the executive but security agencies. I cannot tell you what will happen but I know that we will be holding a security meeting tomorrow morning with all security agencies. And after the meeting, I will make a pronouncement on them”.
When asked by the journalist on what could possibly be fate of these operators, he appealed for calm till noon on Tuesday (tomorrow) when a possible decision will be taken on their activities.
The governor argued that tomorrow’s pronouncement and other transportation strategies adopted by the government was to reduce travel time on Lagos roads.
Part of the strategy, he stressed was the reconfiguration of some portions on Lekki-Epe expressway, Ikorodu road, Ikotun road in Alimosho Local Government and Obafemi Awolowo road in Ikeja Local Government.
Details later
