A consuming
nation where talents and creativity are misdirected, and younger generations
are wasting at their prime, while the senior citizens/pensioners in their 60s,
70s are finding okada as their means of
survival is sitting on time bomb. It will soon explode before our very eyes if
nothing is done urgently…
Recently, Lagos state government ordered and
executed the destruction of over 3000 motorcycles seized across the state. As
usual, the cry is that of poverty and wastage. Some activists competed with one
another to be heard loud and clear as caring for the army of unemployed youths
that will be thrown back into living from hand to mouth, and worse, embracing
crime. In the midst of all these, I ponder deeply inside my mind to see that I
am seeing the same Lagos as they are seeing. At the end of my observation, I
came up with the three words: “a welcoming development!”
Let’s me go back a little into the Bike debate.
Not long ago, there was a debate on whether Bike should be banned in the city
or not. It was a heated debate with argument in favour of (and against) their operation. The usual
excuse was poverty and unemployment. The people in favour of the retention clearly identified
the linkage between poverty/unemployment and crimes surge. I was one of those
in this group as I believed there must be an alternative(s) for the army of
youths that will be affected. I noted that without alternative(s), it will be
crime against humanity for government to deprive them of their means of
livelihood. I recognized, however, that most of these riders are not
unemployed. They are in some ways richer in term of monthly take-home compared
to graduates working in some companies.
The argument for the banning of bikes was based
on issues like; frequent accidents, disregard of traffic rules, using of the bikes
to commit crime etc. But these arguments will not have come up if the bike
riders observed the rules and also ensure that criminals didn’t hide among
them. I am still in favour of free operation of bikes because of their usefulness in a city like
Lagos where traffic gridlock can make a sane man insane and where valuable man-hours
are lost.
While government eventually allowed the Bikes
to keep operating and then put various rules and laws put in place to regularize
their activities in the state, those of us who use Lagos regularly will know
the following:
Most Bike riders, despite the massive awareness
hardly obey traffic rules and they drive recklessly and snaking from lane to
lane in their bid to reach their destination faster;
The rate at which people with regular employment
are taking to Bike as part time work is growing so rapidly. This should have
been positive development in its own way except that it is hurting the
non-formal sector of economy in a way that we are not even noticing. Most of
the vocational/technical enterprises are dying from lack of innovation and
commitment because the people involved do not take them serious anymore. While
some may be quick to blame the government on this, I will be interesting to
note that non-formal sector of the economy used to be very vibrant and profitable.
And it was a success because people were the driving force behind it.
Why is it a welcoming development? One, the
nation’s non-formal sector begin to depreciate when the people and government
become too reliant on oil and all resorting to quick-fix to make end meet.
Companies were shutting down, and government is becoming unconcerned about the
drift. Younger generation begin to drift into universities hoping to acquire
degrees, get a high paying job and succeed. In the process, the spirit and
value of hard work and integrity are gradually eroded. People become lazier as
they aim to make it through any fast means. While all these are going on, our
innovation and ingenuity are being channeled into the wrong path. We gradually
become a consuming society where all nations dump their junks and products.
With collapsing infrastructures, the informal
sector of economy gradually begin to lose it allures as younger generation move
toward fast lane in a bid to beat the growing economic challenges. The
government’s attempt at revitalizing the sector also failed to yield desired
results due to the attitude of both the government and the citizens. They are
on the path of no return.
Why is it a welcoming development? From
government angle, this will means more trouble, in my opinion. With more youths
thrown into unemployment, and propensity to commit crimes on high, the
government will have the headache of coming up with an alternative to Bike
business or the efforts may yield nothing positive in the end. I am thinking
the hullaballoo generated by this destruction may and may not force government
into action. It “may” if the people
making noise sustain the pressure and request for alternative to Okada business
and some of them actually come up with practical ways. It “may not” if the people just take delight in noise making and then
switch into another national controversy (as they always) do.
My argument is that if we look at the positive
side, and we decide on positive actions, we will end up finding a lasting
solution to this and, naturally, we will have to revisit the non-formal sector
of the economy. If government can be forced to play her roles, it will now be
left to the citizens to look at the options available to them and explore them.
We must not ban okada operation, but the operators must be made to comply with
the rules and regulations and the business be made unattractive to law breakers.
Why is it a welcoming development? It will send
a clear signal to the Bike riders that they cannot eat their cakes and have it.
Some of my friends suggested that the government should have auctioned the
bikes, I think this is wrong. Why auction it when the owners will buy it back
at a cost lower than the fine that was imposed in him? This has been the
tradition in the past. You penalise someone at say, 20 000, and then ask the person to buy the product at
10 000; who will not jump at that opportunity? The primary purpose of imposing
fine or punishment is to deter people from breaking the laws.. Once they know
that the law will take its course, they will obey the rule.
The root of corruption in the wider society
today is because the laws are not enforced. Auctioning the bikes will promote
corruption among the officers. This is Nigeria and we all know how it works.
Some of the law enforcement officers will sell the bikes through the backdoor.
We all know this and have been crying against it, so should are we now
encourage it?
Will the 3000 destroyed bikes have been put
into something more positive? Yes! But we need to ascertain if the government
has the facility to crush the bikes and sell them as scraps.
My personal view is that given the
circumstance, it is a welcoming development. It is now left for the people and
the government to rise up to the challenge. Something need to change. However,
looking at it from Nigerian technology development, I sincerely hope that those
affected will look at opportunities non-formal sectors of the economy. We need
them all to put their creativity into work and make Nigeria proud. Bike riding
business is a high risk business where the short term benefits (both to
individual and the nation) often work against the long term benefit.
A nation
where millions of agile, able graduates (and old retirees) are taking to Okada
riding as a means of livelihood is a nation walking a pathway to economic doom.
A consuming nation where talents and creativity are misdirected, and younger
generations are wasting at their prime, while the senior citizens/pensioners in
their 60s, 70s are finding okada as their means of survival is sitting on time
bomb. It will soon explode before our very eyes if nothing is done urgently…
It is time to arrest this development and come
up with strategy toward reviving the informal sector of the economy. We cannot
go on this way. Biking is supposed to be for leisure and a not occupation (in
my opinion). The earlier we act on this, the better for the individuals
involved, the nation and the economy.
It is upon the above I feel that the
destruction of the bikes is a welcome development provided we sustain the tempo
and ensure that our noises and cries are heard so loud that it propel the
government to action and also drive the people concerned toward better and
viable options.
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