Okada riders begin strike in Kwara

Yekini Jimoh, Ilorin - 22.05.2008

COMMERCIAL motorcycle riders, popularly called the “okada” in Kwara State, on Wednesday, embarked on a strike action following the arrest of their colleagues by the police for not using crash helmet for head protection.

People, mostly civil servants and students, found it difficult to get to their respective destinations as they could not get commercial motorcycle riders to convey them as usual. Taxis cabs utilised the opportunity to hike fares with some commuters resorting to trekking as they could not afford charges from the cabs that were on the road.

The president of the state Joint Association of Commercial Motorcycles Express Riders, Mr. AbdulWahab Shuaib, told newsmen on Wednesday that the association had decided to embark on a three-day warning strike to make a case.

According to him, the wearing of crash helmets was suicidal as many of their customers would run away from riding okada again because of fear of infections, noting that over 95 per cent of the okada riders in the state were victims of unemployment as some of them were retrenched from government service while others were mechanics, printers, carpenters and so on.

Shuaib stressed that some unscrupulous people who always engaged in rituals might pose as okada riders and put charm inside their helmets to hipnotise people.
He added that using of crash helmet could not stop accidents.